Increased Risk of Lyme Disease for Cat Owners

A 2-year prospective study (October 1985-October 1987) was undertaken of sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by patients with hemophilia to their partners. 31 patients with hemophilia who were seropositive for HIV and their partners who were seronegative for HIV at entry agreed to attend counseling sessions twice a year and completed the study. HIV antibody status and the subjects attitudes toward preventive measures were recorded and the data were reviewed in late 1987. 14 couples always used condoms during intercourse and no seroconversion occurred in this group; the 17 other couples did not adhere to the use of condoms and 3 women (17%) seroconverted. We tested HIV antigen (Abbott Laboratories) in serial serum samples collected during this study from the 17 patients with hemophilia who did not take preventive measures. 3 of the 6 patients who were seropositive infected their partners whereas none of the 11 who were seronegative did so. These data suggest that active viral replication as evidenced by the presence of HIV antigens in serum may correspond to an increased risk of transmission. This limited study of heterosexual transmission of HIV in well-educated self-treating patients with hemophilia raises 2 important issues. The 1st one concerns the risk of HIV transmission by heterosexual contacts. Among the 17 couples who did not use condoms only 3 female sexual partners where infected during this 2-year follow- up all of them by seropositive partners with hemophilia. The 2nd issue raised by this study is the relative ineffectiveness of education and counseling in preventing the transmission of HIV: 17 of the 31 couples of which 1 member was an HIV-seropositive man disregarded counseling aimed at preventing HIV transmission. (full text)