Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections in Teenagers
Seroprevalence Among Applicants for US Military Service
- COL Donald S. Burke, MC;
- LTC John F. Brundage, MC;
- Mary Goldenbaum, MS;
- Lytt I. Gardner, PhD;
- Lt Col Michael Peterson, VC;
- COL Robert Visintine, MC;
- LTC Robert R. Redfield, MC;
- Walter Reed Retrovirus Research Group
- USA; USA; USAF; USA; USA
- From the Divisions of Retrovirology (Drs Burke and Redfield) and Preventive Medicine (Drs Brundage and Gardner and Ms Goldenbaum), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, DC; the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense/Health Affairs, Washington, DC (Dr Peterson); and the Office of the Command Surgeon, US Military Entrance Processing Command, North Chicago, III (Dr Visintine).
Abstract
Between October 15, 1985, and March 31, 1989, serum specimens from 1 141 164 teenaged youths (aged <20 years) who applied for entry into the US military were tested for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus. Overall, 393 teenaged applicants were found to be seropositive (prevalence, 0.34 per 1000). Prevalences varied markedly in different geographic locales: less than 0.1 per 1000 throughout the north-central states, compared with greater than 2 per 1000 in urban counties in Maryland, Texas, New York, and the District of Columbia. Overall, rates among teenaged males (345/991 445; prevalence, 0.35 per 1000) and teenaged females (48/150 013; prevalence, 0.32 per 1000) were comparable. The prevalence among black teenaged applicants (1.06 per 1000) was greater than that among white (0.18 per 1000) or Hispanic (0.31 per 1000) teenaged applicants. Infections with the human immunodeficiency virus are not rare among teenaged Americans.
(JAMA. 1990;263:2074-2077)
Footnotes
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Reprint requests to Department of Academic Affairs, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307-5100 (Dr Burke).
