Sero-prevalence of HIV: six years' experience at Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore.

Sero-prevalence of HIV was tested among 16,170 individuals. They included 215 patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STD), 77 I/V drug users, 21 commercial sex workers, 987 patients on haemodialysis, 119 subjects referred for HIV testing, 12,482 voluntary blood donors, 360 ante-natal attenders, 73 tuberculosis patients, 674 Pakistanis travelling abroad and 1162 persons who had received multiple blood transfusions. Ten persons were seropositive (0.06%). All of them came from the 119 subjects, suspected to be suffering from AIDS. The predominant mode of transmission was heterosexual (50%), blood transfusion (30%), homosexual (10%) and vertical (10%). All cases acquired infection outside the country. Comparisons have been made with other national studies.