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Screening prospective blood donors for AIDS risk factors: will sufficient donors be found?
1Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington 06032.
Insights
Approximately 14-19% of American males aged 17-75 and 2% of adult females face high Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) transmission risks. This could lead to 10-14% of males and 1% of females being deferred from blood donation due to high-risk behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Disease
Background:
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a significant public health concern.
- Blood donation safety is paramount to prevent transfusion-transmitted infections.
- Understanding risk factors for HIV transmission is crucial for screening protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the prevalence of high-risk behaviors for HIV transmission among American adults.
- To determine the potential impact of these risk factors on blood donor eligibility.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from various sources to estimate prevalence.
- Calculated percentages of individuals at high risk for HIV transmission.
- Estimated deferral rates for blood donation based on personal histories.
Main Results:
- 14-19% of American males (17-75 years) and 2% of adult females have histories placing them at high risk for HIV transmission.
- An estimated 10-14% of males and 1% of females may be deferred from blood donation due to high-risk behavior.
- Approximately one-fourth of individuals in both high-risk groups may already be unsuitable for donation.
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of the adult population exhibits behaviors associated with high HIV transmission risk.
- These risk factors have a notable impact on the pool of eligible blood donors.
- Local data adjustments are necessary for accurate community-specific estimates.
Abstract:
Using data from various sources--we estimate that 14 to 19 per cent of American males 17-75 have personal histories that place them at high risk of transmitting the HIV infection while an additional 2 per cent of adult females may be similarly affected. Because roughly one fourth of either group may already be unsuited to give blood, we estimate that 10-14 per cent of adult males, and 1 per cent of females would be specifically deferred from giving blood because of personal histories of high-risk behavior. Local adjustments in the assumptions underlying these estimates are needed to apply them to given communities.
