A New Strategy to Prevent the Spread of AIDS Among Heterosexuals FREE

Dean F. Echenberg, MD, PhD

[+] Author Affiliations

Address editorial communications to the Editor, 535 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610.

JAMA. 1985;254(15):2129-2130. doi:10.1001/jama.1985.03360150105036

Text Size: A A A

Published online

Article

References

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

Until recently, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been considered a disease only of certain specific high-risk groups: homosexual and bisexual men, intravenous drug users, recent Haitian immigrants, hemophiliacs, and persons who had received transfusions of blood or blood products. The primary public health strategy for controlling AIDS was to educate these high-risk groups about the disease and its transmission so that they could reduce their own risk of acquiring and transmitting it. This control strategy implied that AIDS was occurring only within these groups and that it would remain there.

In San Francisco this strategy has been employed for some years with dramatic, sustained changes in high-risk sexual activity among homosexual men. Rectal gonorrhea rates in San Francisco have sharply declined, and other sexually transmitted diseases have shown similar decreases (San Francisco Department of Public Health, unpublished data, June 1985). However, even though the number of high-risk sexual contacts

REFERENCES

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

Jaffe HW, Darrow WW, Echenberg DF, et al: AIDS, AIDS-related conditions, and infection with HTLV-III/LAV in a cohort of homosexual men: A 6-year follow-up study . Ann Intern Med 1985;;103:210-214.

Anderson RE, Levy JA: Prevalence of antibodies to AIDS associated retroviruses in single men in San Francisco . Lancet 1985;;2:217.

Immunodeficiency among female sexual partners of men with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)—New York . MMWR 1983;;31:697-698.

Harris C, Small CB, Klein RE, et al: Immunodeficiency in female sexual partners of men with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome . N Engl J Med 1983;;308:1181-1184.

Redfield RR, Markham PD, Salahuddin SZ, et al: Frequent transmission of HTLV-III among spouses of patients with AIDS-related complex and AIDS . JAMA 1985;;253:1571-1573.

Van de Perre P, Lepage P, Kestelyn P, et al: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in Rwanda . Lancet 1984;;2:62-65.

Piot P, Taelman H, Minlangu KB, et al: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in a heterosexual population in Zaire . Lancet 1984;;2:65-69.

Lawrence J, Brun-Vezinet F, Schutzer SE, et al: Lymphadenopathy associated viral antibody in AIDS: Immune correlations and definition of a carrier state . N Engl J Med 1984;;311:1286-1292.

Hardy AM, Allen JR, Morgan M, et al: The incidence rate of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in selected populations . JAMA 1985;;253:215-220.

Lundberg GD: The age of AIDS: A great time for defensive living . JAMA 1985;;253:3440-3441.

Redfield RR, Markham PD, Salahuddin SZ, et al: Heterosexually acquired HTLV-III/LAV disease (AIDS-related complex and AIDS): Epidemiologic evidence for female-to-male transmission . JAMA 1985;;254:2094-2096.

Figures

Tables

Interactive Graphics

Video

Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal