We describe the prevalence of anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) among a sample of 1,652 surgical and gynecologic patients in Polish hospitals, contrasting it with the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) to assess the rationale for preoperative testing. No anti-HIV-positive samples were found; the prevalence of anti-HCV was 0.9%, slightly higher than the prevalence of HBsAg of 0.6%. Universal preoperative screening of hospital patients for HIV is currently not warranted according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. However, the seroprevalence of HIV should be reassessed periodically.