Which one of the following groups of people may be at increased risk for HIV infection?: (A) Members of a household in which there is a person who is HIV-positive, (B) Receptionists at a hospital, (C) Factory workers whose coworkers are HIV-positive, (D) Foreign service employees who are hospitalized in Zaire for bleeding ulcers
Answer is D. Many believe that casual contact with patients who are HIV-positive increases the risk of acquiring the disease. This is not the case. It is also clear that homosexual females have a low rate of HIV acquisition. Because a substantial portion of the blood supply in Central African countries is HIV-infected, hospitalization is risky particularly if transfusion is necessary.