Abstract

PIP: Data from Egypt bolster UN figures which suggest that north Africa and the Middle East are escaping the worse of the AIDS epidemic. The prevalence of the infection in donated blood in Egypt has remained very low over the past seven years, and prevalence has also remained low among people whose behavior would normally place them at risk of infection. Because cofactors for the spread of AIDS exist in Egypt and condom use is minimal, a likely reason why the epidemic has not had its usual impact is because the population adheres to the Islamic moral code which forbids adultery, premarital sex, and homosexuality. Thus, HIV infection may exist in small groups but is unlikely to spread into the general population.