Disease burden for blacks.
By applying a mathematical model - Note: The term model has a different meaning in model theory, a branch of mathematical logic. An artifact which is used to illustrate a mathematical idea is also called a mathematical model and this usage is the reverse of the sense explained below.
of HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. transmission to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. , analysts have estimated that 545 new HIV infections among black men and women in 2000, or 3-5% of new HIV infections among blacks, were attributable to the effects of infectious syphilis. (1) Over the affected individuals" lifetime, these infections will result in an estimated $113 million ($207,000 per person) annually in direct medical costs. By contrast, nationwide syphilis prevention programs would cost $60 million each year; the analysts note that such programs would avert the cost of treating not only syphilis-attributable HIV but also other consequences of syphilis infection. Moreover, syphilis prevention efforts might promote sexual behaviors that lower the risks of other sexually transmitted diseases Sexually transmitted diseases
Infections that are acquired and transmitted by sexual contact. Although virtually any infection may be transmitted during intimate contact, the term sexually transmitted disease is restricted to conditions that are largely . The analysts conclude that a "successful national syphilis elimination program" could substantially reduce the burden of HIV among black Americans.
(1.) Chesson HW et al., HIV infections and associated costs attributable to syphilis coinfection among African Americans, American Journal of Public Health The American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) is a peer reviewed monthly journal of the American Public Health Association (APHA). The Journal also regularly publishes authoritative editorials and commentaries and serves as a forum for the analysis of health policy. , 2003, 93(6):943-948.
COPYRIGHT 2003 The Alan Guttmacher Institute
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
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