Surveillance of cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) suggests a pattern of transmission by blood and body fluids. Specific routes of transmission include sexual intravenous transfusion of blood and blood products and mother to fetus or newborn. It is not known if cofactors make an infected host more likely to develop AIDS. More than 500000 persons in the US may already be infected with the AIDS virus. Attention to risk reduction behaviors (safe sex) is important even among individuals who may already be infected with the AIDS virus. Seropositive women considering pregnancy should be counseled about the risk of infecting the fetus and the danger of maternal complications including higher mortality from AIDS. Continuing educational efforts should stress the role of heterosexual transmission within the drug-using community and among the sexual partners of men infected with AIDS. All educational efforts should be based on the recognition of 2 target populations: those with AIDS and those at risk of the disease.
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Jo Anne Bennett (1985) studied this question.