Bonneux et al identified risk factors for HIV infection in European expatriates living in Africa. These can identify ways to reduce the risk of becoming infected in this population. The authors are from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels, Belgium.
Patient selection: adult Belgian males
The population was predominantly heterosexual with little injection drug abuse.
Risk factors for infection:
(1) local contact with multiple local women (risk starts with 2 partners, increases sharply with 10 or more)
(2) contact with prostitutes
(3) injections by unqualified healthcare providers
(4) no college education (finished school before or at 18 years of age)
Men with HIV were at risk for other sexually transmitted diseases:
(1) hepatitis B
(2) syphilis
Preventive measures:
(1) celibacy or monogamy
(2) use of condoms
(3) use of qualified healthcare providers
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