Sexual behaviour: related adverse health burden in the United States
Ebrahim, S.H.; McKenna, M.T.; Marks, J.S.
Sexually Transmitted Infections 81(1): 38-40
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 1368-4973 PMID: 15681721 DOI: 10.1136/sti.2003.008300Document Number: 240418
As part of an analysis of the burden of disease and injury in the United States, we identified and quantified the incidence of adverse health events, deaths, and disability adjusted life years (DALY) attributed to sexual behaviour. In 1998, about 20 million such events (7532/100 000 people) and 29 782 such deaths (1.3% of all US deaths) occurred, contributing to 2 161 417 DALYs (6.2% of all US DALYs). The majority of incident health events (62%) and DALYs (57%) related to sexual behaviour were among females, and curable infections and their sequelae contributed to over half of these. Viral infections and their sequelae accounted for nearly all sexual behaviour related deaths-mostly HIV/AIDS. Sexual behaviour attributed DALYs in the United States are threefold higher than that in overall established market economies.