HIV Testing Patterns for United States Air Force Personnel, 2008-2012
OBJECTIVE:
This
study evaluated 3rd generation human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test patterns
and HIV infection rates in the United States Air Force (USAF).
STUDY DESIGN:
Retrospective
database study.
METHODS:
HIV
enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and Western blot tests were analysed for all
USAF personnel from 2008 to 2012. For new HIV cases, unadjusted and adjusted
annual rates were calculated per 100,000 persons.
RESULTS:
In total,
1,608,665 tests were performed in 626,298 individuals, with a reactive ELISA
observed in 809 (0.001%) persons. Western blot (n = 1949) results
included 378 (19.4%) positive, 1283 (65.8%) negative, and 288 (15.0%)
indeterminate (WBi). Unadjusted annual HIV rates were between 16.7 and 20.6 per
100,000 persons during the study period. The overall age-adjusted rate was 14.8
cases per 100,000 persons tested. Blacks/African Americans had the highest risk
of HIV (risk ratio 7.9 [95% confidence interval 5.78, 9.95] compared to Whites).
CONCLUSIONS:
WBi
results, which can cause delays in determining HIV status, were relatively
common with the 3rd generation assay. However, this will be mitigated by a
planned transition to a 4th generation assay. Although the overall rate of HIV
in the USAF is lower than US civilian adults, HIV prevention efforts targeting
young Blacks/African Americans may help to reduce HIV incidence in the USAF.
- 1United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Public Health and Preventive Medicine Department, Epidemiology Consult Service, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
- 2United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Public Health and Preventive Medicine Department, Epidemiology Consult Service, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA.
- 3Infectious Disease Service, San Antonio Military Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address: jason.f.okulicz.mil@mail.mil.
- Public Health. 2016 Jan 12. pii: S0033-3506(15)00485-0. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2015.11.019.
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