Absence of HIV-1 infection in antibody-negative sexual partners of HIV-1 infected hemophiliacs.

In order to confirm the presence and determine the frequency of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) infection prior to antibody production, 23 healthy women with histories of repeated unprotected sexual exposure to HIV-1 infected hemophiliacs were tested for evidence of HIV-1 infection. Female subjects were tested for HIV-1 antibody (enzyme immunoassay [EIA] and Western blot), HIV-1 serum antigen, HIV-1 DNA gag sequences by the polymerase chain reaction, and HIV-1 virus isolation from peripheral mononuclear cells. Twenty-two of 23 (96%) women were negative by all HIV-1 assays. One woman was positive by all the HIV-1 assays including an EIA screening test for HIV-1 antibody. These preliminary results suggest that the frequency of HIV-1 infection in antibody-negative sexual partners of HIV-1 infected individuals is probably very low.