HIV prevalence, risk behavior, knowledge, and beliefs among women seeking care at a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Mumbai, India.

Three hundred women presenting to a sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic in Mumbai, India were surveyed and HIV tested. Thirty-nine percent were HIV infected; 80% were current sex workers, and HIV infection was not significantly associated with past-year sex work. Only 44% always used condoms with their noncommercial sex partners. Most believed that condom preparation is a male responsibility (58%); that condom use is a sign that partner trust is lacking (84%); and that if a woman asks her partner to use a condom, he will lose respect for her (65%). All women at STI clinics in India need HIV testing and culturally sensitive risk interventions.