Prevention of HIV infection. Looking back, looking ahead.

For some, the occurrence of as many as 40,000 new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the United States each year is evidence that HIV education and prevention efforts have failed. To the contrary, more than a decade of experience with HIV has demonstrated that lasting changes in behavior needed to avoid infection can occur as a result of carefully tailored, targeted, credible, and persistent HIV risk-reduction efforts. Given experience in other health behavior change endeavors, no interventions are likely to reduce the incidence of HIV infection to zero; indeed, insisting on too high a standard for HIV risk-reduction programs may actually undermine their effectiveness.

Screening for human immunodeficiency virus antibody in urine.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of an investigational test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope antibodies in urine.

Design: Matched blood and urine specimens were tested for HIV by two independent laboratories, both of which were blinded to all results at the other site. Duplicate positive enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA) results were confirmed by immunofluorescent antibody or western blot.

Sexual risk and perception of risk for HIV infection among multiethnic family-planning clients.

Little is known about the relationship among having risks for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, perceiving oneself at risk, and initiating risk reduction for young sexually active women. We surveyed a multiethnic sample of 267 young-adult female family planning clients attending Planned Parenthood clinics to determine these relationships. Perceiving oneself at risk was significantly associated with having sex outside of a primary relationship in the past year, with having five or more sexual partners in the last five years, and with having a primary partner who has other partners.