HIV seroprevalence among patients attending a Milwaukee clinic for sexually transmitted diseases: findings from four annual surveys, 1988-1991.

Blinded HIV seroprevalence surveys were conducted annually from 1988 through 1991 among patients at a Milwaukee sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic. Among 5,295 patients tested, 70 (1.3%) were HIV-1 Western blot positive. HIV seroprevalence rates were higher among male patients (1.7%) than among female patients (0.5%). HIV seroprevalence increased progressively with age and the number of prior STD episodes. During the four survey periods, HIV seroprevalence increased among teenage STD patients, patients who reported no prior STD, and patients without determined risk exposures. Selective voluntary HIV testing of patients who reported high risk exposures failed to detect 80% of all HIV seropositive patients. Because STD clinic patients are at high risk of HIV infection, HIV antibody testing, with appropriate referral of patients who test positive, and risk reduction education should be made routinely available to all STD patients with or without HIV-associated risk exposures.