Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Ethnic Minority Homosexual/ Bisexual Men

No human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroprevalence data have been reported for homosexual/bisexual men who are members of ethnic minorities, so strategies for research and epidemic control could be importantly affected.

Abstract

To the Editor.— Recently, ethnic minorities, particularly blacks, have been reported to be disproportionately represented among the total of US cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. 1,2 However, to date, no human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroprevalence data have been reported for homosexual/bisexual men who are members of ethnic minorities. If risk factors for infection differ between ethnic groups, strategies for research and epidemic control could be importantly affected. Study.— In San Francisco, 1034 single men 25 through 54 years of age have been recruited via an area probability sample for prospective study of the epidemiology and natural history of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and HIV infection (the San Francisco Men's Health Study). 3 Of the study cohort, 800 classified themselves as homosexual/bisexual; of these, 100 belong to ethnic minority groups. Table 1 shows the composition of the cohort according to ethnicity and prevalence of HIV infection at the time of entry into