[AIDS and females--a multicenter study].

Case studies and epidemic surveys clearly show that HIV can be transmitted from males to females, from females to children in utero, and from females to males, as well as from males to males. Studies of heterosexual transmission prove that the extent of transmission varies: female partners of HIV-infected men have the highest incidence; transmission from infected women to their children is approximately 25%-50%. The unsolved questions in gynecology and obstetrics are presented and examined on the basis of a multicenter study of the experience with AIDS and in consultation with HIV-infected patients, so that a better understanding of AIDS might lead to improved treatment and counselling.