| There still is no cure for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Its etiologic agent is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and transmission occurs through sexual relationships, contacts with blood, and vertically (mother to child). In this study, we sought to determine the prevalence of HIV among blood donors at a blood bank in Curitiba. We studied 213,666 blood donations made from March 1, 1992, to April 25, 1999. Each potential blood donor first answered a questionnaire, submitted to a clinical examination, and filled out a self-exclusion card. Blood was collected and analyzed only from the candidates approved by the first two criteria. Two tests were used to detect HIV: ELISA for screening, and Western-Blot for confirmation. The results... |
