Women and HIV infection: a cohort study of 483 HIV-infected women in Bordeaux, France, 1985–1991

Objectives: To study the epidemiological trends, clinical patterns, evolution and prognosis of HIV infection in women. Design: Cohort study of 1816 HIV-infected patients. Results: Up to 1 january 1991, 483 (26.6%) of the patients reported to the Groupe d'Epidemiologie Clinique du SIDA en Aquitaine surveillance system were women. The male-to-female ratio has decreased progressively (3.4:1 in 1985; 2.7:1 in 1990) over time. Fifty per cent of HIV-infected women are or have been intravenous drug users (IVDU)