HIV status of female sex partners of men reactive to HIV-1, HIV-2 or both viruses in Abidjan, Cote dʼlvoire

Abstract

Men were likely to have been infected earlier than women because of their HIV-associated illness; also, men more frequently had serologic profiles indicative of infection outside of the union. Rates of serologic concordance in spouses of men with advanced HIV-1 or HIV-2 infection were similar (44-49%). Dually reactive hospitalized men frequently (72%) had seropositive sex partners, most of whom were HIV-1-positive. Dual reactivity was also frequent in these spouses, suggesting transmission of both HIV-1 and HIV-2, or of a cross-reactive strain, and a minority of partners were infected with HIV-2 alone. Prospective studies of discordant couples using quantitative molecular diagnostic techniques are required for better understanding of dual reactivity and transmission of HIV-1 and HIV-2.