[An HIV prevalence study by means of sentinel epidemiological surveillance among injection narcotic abusers in Saint Petersburg].

The data on the study of the spread of HIV infection among injecting drug users in St. Petersburg, carried out by the method of the random testing of blood remaining in used syringes, are presented. Injecting drug users visiting buses working in accordance with the program "Buses for Assistance to Drug Addicts" were chosen as a study group.

[The epidemic situation in relation to HIV infection in Ukraine (1987-1997)].

The analysis of the dynamics of the epidemic process for 10 years made it possible to find out the presence of two separate epidemic waves of HIV infection. The first wave (1987-1994) was manifested as the slow type of the development of the epidemic, characterized mainly by sexual transmission. During this period 398 persons with HIV infection were detected, 24 persons were found to have AIDS; of these, 13 persons died.

[Serotypical stratification of HIV-1 in populations of intravenous drug users in the south/southwestern Ukraine].

A total of 101 HIV-1 positive sera from intravenous drug users (IVDU) in Southern and South-Eastern Ukraine were serotyped using V3-mimicking peptides. Serotype B circulates in Nikolaev and type A/C in Odessa and Donetsk. Prevalence of A/C serotype in the population of IVDU is a characteristic feature of the epidemic situation in this region, in contrast to the USA and Western Europe, where subtype B circulates.

[The epidemiological characteristics of HIV infection in Ukraine].

The paper presents results of screening tests involving different groups of the population in the Ukraine, for antibodies to HIV, findings from epidemiologic investigation into cases with HIV-infection, with a view to outlining epidemiologic situation and assessing effectiveness of antiepidemic measures. HIV-transmission through sexual contacts is the commonest way of HIV-transportation in the Ukraine (66.1% of all cases of infection).

[The awareness of adolescents of the AIDS problem].

Study of teenager's knowledge about AIDS demonstrated awareness of the problem on the whole. But transfer of HIV infection, course of the disease and use of prophylactic means remain insufficiently clear to them. Results of the study allow to outline measures on perfection of sanitary education with a view to cultivate mode of life and behaviour that would exclude a possibility of contamination.

[Medical workers and AIDS: the attitude to the problem].

A questionnaire was spread among Kiev physicians with the purpose of evaluating their level of information concerning the AIDS problem. An interrelation of level of knowledge and character of relation to the HIV infection was found. It was established that the idea of air-drop ways of HIV transmission is widely spread among the medical personnel with a tendency to stigmatization of the infected, underestimation of the AIDS problem significance.