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Invited Commentary: A Landmark Study Launched in a Public Health Maelstrom.
- Source :
-
American Journal of Epidemiology . Jun2017, Vol. 185 Issue 11, p1157-1160. 4p. - Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic was first recognized in 1981, and it quickly became a public health emergency. In a 1987 paper in the American Journal of Epidemiology (Am J Epidemiol. 1987;126(2): 310-318), Richard Kaslow et al. described the launch of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), a cohort study of homosexual men in 4 US cities, the purpose of which was to better understand the natural history of AIDS and its determinants. The MACS enrolled participants through a range of community contacts. These efforts facilitated rapid recruitment, but given the targeted approaches, participants tended to comprise high-risk social networks. At baseline, 4%-26% of participants at the 4 sites reported having a sexual partner who had developed AIDS. Kaslow et al. also described baseline testing for the causative agent of AIDS, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV sero- prevalence was remarkably high, ranging from 11 %-26% across age groups in Pittsburgh to 38%-53% in Los Angeles. The major turning point in the epidemic occurred in 1995-1996 when combination antiretroviral therapy was introduced, effectively blocking HIV replication and markedly reducing AIDS morbidity and mortality. The MACS cohort continues to be followed actively 3 decades after its launch and has proven to be an important resource for information on HIV infection and AIDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00029262
- Volume :
- 185
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- American Journal of Epidemiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 123400201
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwx079