Prevalence of HIV Infection among Young Adults in the United States: Results from the Add Health Study

Citation

Morris, Martina; Handcock, Mark S.; Miller, William C.; Ford, Carol A.; Schmitz, John L.; Hobbs, Marcia M.; Cohen, Myron S.; Harris, Kathleen Mullan; & Udry, J. Richard (2006). Prevalence of HIV Infection among Young Adults in the United States: Results from the Add Health Study. American Journal of Public Health, 96(6), 1091-1097. PMCID: PMC1470623

Abstract

Objectives: We estimated HIV prevalence rates among young adults in the United States.
Methods: We used survey data from the third wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a random sample of nearly 19000 young adults initiated in 1994–1995. Consenting respondents were screened for the presence of antibodies to HIV-1 in oral mucosal transudate specimens. We calculated prevalence rates, accounting for survey design, response rates, and test performance.
Results: Among the 13184 participants, the HIV prevalence rate was 1.0 per 1000 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4, 1.7). Gender-specific prevalence rates were similar, but rates differed markedly between non-Hispanic Blacks (4.9 per 1000; 95% CI=1.8, 8.7) and members of other racial/ethnic groups (0.22 per 1000; 95% CI=0.00, 0.64).
Conclusions: Racial disparities in HIV in the United States are established early in the life span, and our data suggest that 15% to 30% of all cases of HIV occur among individuals younger than 25 years.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2004.054759

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2006

Journal Title

American Journal of Public Health

Author(s)

Morris, Martina
Handcock, Mark S.
Miller, William C.
Ford, Carol A.
Schmitz, John L.
Hobbs, Marcia M.
Cohen, Myron S.
Harris, Kathleen Mullan
Udry, J. Richard

PMCID

PMC1470623

ORCiD

Harris, KM - 0000-0001-9757-1026