Risk of female-to-male transmission of HIV from women infected by transfusion

The authors initiated a study on the husbands of women infected by transfusion (generally in an obstetric context), before the systematic screening of blood donations was initiated. The women had no other risk factors than transfusion; HIV-1 seropositivity was discovered by testing blood donated or because of HIV-infection linked symptoms (AIDS, lymphadenopathy syndrome). Forty-seven monogamous husbands were included in the study. All had had at least 1 year of unprotected intercourse with their wives since the infected blood transfusion. None of them were at risk for HIV infection except through intercourse. Anti-HIV antibodies (ELISA) were found in one. This man was 34 years old, and denied any risk factors other than intercourse with his wife. The woman was transfused in 1983, and this transfusion was her only means of infection.