The study of sexual behavior in relation to the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus: Caveats and recommendations.

ABSTRACT: To create the behavior-change programs es-sential for limiting the acquired immune deficiency syn-drome (AIDS) epidemic, we must obtain a precise un-derstanding of the sexual behavior, knowledge, and atti-tudes of our nations various ethnic, racial, social age, regional, and sexual orientation groups. Such information is necessary for developing the precisely targeted educa-tional programs that currently are our most effective means of reducing risk behaviors and halting the spread of the disease in the United States. These behavioral data are also crucial to biomedical investigations, making pos-sible the identification of appropriate subjects for programs ranging from the testing of vaccines to the evaluation of the threat o pregnant women and their offspring. In this article, we summarize data on sexual behaviors associated