RESUMO
This paper describes the experience in testing for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) at a private institution. A total of 31,003 persons were tested between August 1986 and June 1990 including 20, 321 blood donors. The other 10,712 were visitors to the Ohso International Commune (OIC), a commune for followers of Osho Rajneesh. Another 133 patients, 45 of whom had been repeatedly transfused, were also tested. Thirty two persons tested positive-22 blood donors, 4 visitors to OIC and 6 patients. The seropositivity of unselected blood donors was O of 273 donors in 1986, 1 of 2836 in 1987 (0.04%), 2 of 5373 in 1988 (0.04%), 11 of 7201 in 1989 (0.15%) and 8 of 4640 in the first half of 1990 (0.17%). Since non-professional blood donors represent a sample of the general population, a rise in seropositivity in the former may imply a rise in the latter.