Seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 among pregnant women.

Five (0.74%) of 678 women delivering in 1985 at a tertiary referral hospital for high-risk pregnancies and 16 (1.34%) of 1198 women visiting an urban prenatal obstetrics clinic in 1986-1987 had serologic evidence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Unlinked testing (removal of personal identifiers from the blood specimen and the epidemiologic data sheet) of residual serum from hepatitis B virus serologic testing was used. Neither age, marital status, payor status, nor serologic markers of hepatitis B virus infection was useful in identifying women at risk for HIV-1 infection. As a result of these data, we have initiated a program in which counseling is offered to all women and testing for those who consent. Unlinked testing of women who refuse consent is performed for epidemiologic purposes. This will allow us to continue to plan for health care resource needs and to track the course of the epidemic in various subgroups of pregnant women.