NEED FOR SYSTEMATIC VIH SEROLOGICAL STUDY DURING PREGNANCY

BACKGROUND: TO evaluate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening u sefulness in pregnancy and to know the prevalence of this infection in an urban area of Spain, PATIENTS AND METHOD: Routine prenatal screeni ng for antibodies to HIV was offered to pregnant women from Fuenlabrad a-Leganes Health Care Area (Madrid) from 1992 to 1995. Unlinked anonym ous screening of HIV was done with the sera from women refusing the as say or if it had not been offered. RESULTS: HIV prevalence was 0.28% ( CI: 95%: 0.19 to 0.40) in the 11,021 pregnant women group studied. 87. 1% pregnant seropositive women were detected by consented screening. 5 5.6% of them recognized risk behavior (73.33% by intravenous drug use) and 44.4% did not do it. With a second anamnesis in this group 75% ad mitted risk conducts and 25% confirmed their ignorance about them, CON CLUSIONS: HIV seropositive screening in pregnant women selected only b y risk behavior may be unsuccessful. For that reason, it is more conve nient the perform a routine test for detection of HIV antibodies after informed consent in high prevalence areas of HIV infection.