Stabilization of HIV infection rates in urban Burkina Faso, 1995-1999

The objectives of this study were to monitor the trends of the HIV epidemic between 1995 and 1999 among pregnant women in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second l argest town of Burkina Faso, and to discuss the possible effect of preventi ve interventions (condom availability) on sexual transmission of HIV in thi s context. Age-specific trends in HIV prevalence obtained from sentinel sur veillance programme were analysed. Among antenatal clinic attendees, HIV pr evalence was 7.5% (n=401) in 1995, 10% (n=200) in 1996, 7.6%, (n=448) in 19 97, 8.4% (n=642) in 1998 and 5.3% (n=716) in 1999 without demonstrated temp oral trend (P=0.12). The average number of condoms available per person (ag ed 15-49 years) per year increased from 0.6 in 1992 to 5.7 in 1995 and 6.0 in 1999. Anonymous surveys are less subject to selection bias and suggest a stabilization of the HIV prevalence around 7.3% in Bobo-Dioulasso. Distrib ution of condoms could explain at least, partly, this stabilization of the HIV epidemic.