Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections in Teenagers: Seroprevalence Among Applicants for US Military Service

Walter Reed Retrovirus Research Group

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

115 Scopus citations

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2074-2077
Number of pages4
JournalJAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
Volume263
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 18 1990
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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