OBJECTIVE: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are preventable, potentially traumatic events with lifelong negative impacts. Population-level data on ACEs among adolescents have historically relied on parent reports and excluded abuse-related ACEs. We present the self-reported prevalence of ACEs among a large population-based sample of US high school students. METHODS: Using cross-sectional, state-representative data from 16 states that included core ACE questions on their 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, we estimate the prevalence of 8 individual (lifetime emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, physical neglect, witnessed intimate partner violence, household substance use, household poor mental health, incarcerated parent or guardian) and cumulative ACEs (0, 1, 2-3, ≥4) among a large population-based sample of adolescents, overall and by demographic characteristics (sex, race and ethnicity, age, sexual orientation). RESULTS: Emotional abuse (65.8%), household poor mental health (36.1%), and physical abuse (32.5%) had the highest prevalence. ACEs were very common, with 80.5% of adolescents experiencing at least 1 ACE and 22.4% experiencing ≥4 ACEs. Experiencing ≥4 ACEs was highest among adolescents who were female (27.7%), non-Hispanic multiracial (33.7%), non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (27.1%), gay or lesbian (36.5%), bisexual (42.1%), or who described their sexual identity some other way or were not sure of their sexual identity (questioning) (36.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported ACE estimates among adolescents exceed previously published parent-reported estimates. ACEs are not equally distributed, with important differences in individual and cumulative ACEs by demographic characteristics. Collecting ACE data directly from adolescents at the state level provides actionable data for prevention and mitigation.

INTRODUCTION: Data on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are key to understanding their burden and informing prevention programs and strategies. Population-based surveys that collect ACEs data may be affected by item non-response. This study examines differences in non-response to the optional Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) ACEs module overall, by sociodemographic characteristics, year, and question. METHODS: The study used BRFSS ACEs Module data from 21 states in 2019 and 16 states in 2021. Weighted proportions and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of responders and non-responders to the ACEs module by year and sociodemographic characteristics, and percentages of non-responders for each question were calculated. Chi-square tests were used to assess statistically significant (p<0.05) differences. Analyses were conducted in 2023. RESULTS: In 2019 and 2021, 1.2% (95% CI=1.1, 1.4) and 2.4% (95% CI=2.2, 2.5) of BRFSS participants were non-responders to the ACEs Module, respectively (p<0.01). Compared with responders, non-responders were more likely to be non-Hispanic Black (p=0.01) or non-Hispanic Asian (p=0.01), unemployed (p<0.01), have income <$15,000 (p<0.01), or report poor health (p<0.01). Non-response by question increased as the module progressed, and non-response was highest for sexual abuse questions. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, findings demonstrate that individuals are willing to respond to the ACEs module questions. Although low, non-response to the module increased from 2019 to 2021. Higher non-response for sexual abuse questions may be due to their sensitivity or potential survey fatigue due to placement at the end of the module. Higher non-response among racial/ethnic minorities and economically disadvantages groups highlight opportunities to improve existing surveillance systems.

PURPOSE: The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) among high school students includes standard questions about sexual identity and sex of sexual contacts, but these questions are not consistently included in every state that conducts the survey. This study aimed to develop and apply a method to predict state-level proportions of high school students identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) or reporting any same-sex sexual contacts in those states that did not include these questions in their 2017 YRBS. METHODS: We used state-level high school YRBS data from 2013, 2015, and 2017. We defined two primary outcomes relating to self-reported LGB identity and reported same-sex sexual contacts. We developed machine learning models to predict the two outcomes based on other YRBS variables, and comparing different modeling approaches. We used a leave-one-out cross-validation approach and report results from best-performing models. RESULTS: Modern ensemble models outperformed traditional linear models at predicting state-level proportions for the two outcomes, and we identified prediction methods that performed well across different years and prediction tasks. Predicted proportions of respondents reporting LGB identity in states that did not include direct measurement ranged between 9.4% and 12.9%. Predicted proportions of respondents reporting any same-sex contacts, where not directly observed, ranged between 7.0% and 10.4%. CONCLUSION: Comparable population estimates of sexual minority adolescents can raise awareness among state policy makers and the public about what proportion of youth may be exposed to disparate health risks and outcomes associated with sexual minority status. This information can help decision makers in public health and education agencies design, implement and evaluate community and school interventions to improve the health of LGB youth.

Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) promote optimal health and mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences, but PCE prevalence in the United States is not well-known. Using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, this study describes the prevalence of individual and cumulative PCEs among adults residing in four states: Kansas (2020), Montana (2019), South Carolina (2020), and Wisconsin (2015). Cumulative PCE scores were calculated by summing affirmative responses to seven questions. Subscores were created for family-related (three questions) and community-related (four questions) PCEs. The prevalence of individual PCEs varied from 59.5% (enjoyed participating in community traditions) to 90.5% (adult in respondents' household made them feel safe), and differed significantly by race and ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation. Fewer non-Hispanic Black or African American (49.2%), non-Hispanic Alaska Native or American Indian (37.7%), and Hispanic or Latino respondents (38.9%) reported 6-7 PCEs than did non-Hispanic White respondents (55.2%). Gay or lesbian, and bisexual respondents were less likely than were straight respondents to report 6-7 PCEs (38.1% and 27.4% versus 54.7%, respectively). A PCE score of 6-7 was more frequent among persons with higher income and education. Improved understanding of the relationship of PCEs to adult health and well-being and variation among population subgroups might help reduce health inequities.

INTRODUCTION: Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with lifelong health harms, current surveillance data on adults' ACEs exposures are either unavailable or incomplete for many states. In this study, recent data from a nationally representative survey were used to obtain current and complete ACEs estimates at the national and state levels. METHODS: Current, complete, by-state ACEs estimates were obtained by applying small area estimation (SAE) technique to individual-level data on adults aged 18+ years from 2019-2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. The standardized ACEs questions included in 2019-2020 BRFSS survey allowed for obtaining ACEs estimates consistent across states. All missing ACEs responses (state did not offer ACEs questions or offered to only some respondents; respondents skipped questions) were predicted through multilevel mixed-effects logistic (MMEL) and jackknifed MMEL SAE regressions. The analyses were conducted between October 2022 and May 2023. RESULTS: Estimated 62.8% of U.S. adults had past ACEs exposures (range: 54.9% in Connecticut; 72.5% in Maine). Emotional abuse (34.5%) was most common; household member incarceration (10.6%) was least common. Sexual abuse varied markedly between females (22.2%) and males (5.4%). Most ACEs exposures were lowest for adults who were non-Hispanic white, had the highest level of education (college degree) or income (annual income $50,000+), or had access to a personal healthcare provider. CONCLUSIONS: Current complete ACE estimates demonstrate high countrywide exposures and stark socio-demographic inequalities in ACEs burden, highlighting opportunities to prevent ACEs by focusing social, educational, medical, and public health interventions on populations disproportionately impacted.

BACKGROUND: Although preventable, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can result in lifelong health harms. Current surveillance data on adults' exposure to ACEs are either unavailable or incomplete for many U.S. states. METHODS: Current estimates of the proportion of U.S. adults with past ACEs exposures were obtained by analysing individual-level data from 2019 to 2020 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System-annual nationally representative survey of noninstitutionalized adults aged 18+years. Standardised questions measuring ACEs exposures (presence of household member with mental illness, substance abuse, or incarceration; parental separation; witnessing intimate partner violence; experiencing physical, emotional, or sexual abuse during childhood) were categorised into 0, 1, 2-3, or 4+ACEs and reported by sociodemographic group in each state. Missing ACEs responses (state did not offer ACEs questions or offered to only some respondents; respondent skipped questions) were modelled through multilevel mixed-effects logistic (MMEL) and jackknifed MMEL regressions. RESULTS: In 2019-2020, an estimated 62.8% of U.S. adults had past exposure to 1+ACEs (range: 54.9% in Connecticut; 72.5% in Maine), including 22.4% of adults who were exposed to 4+ACEs (range: 11.9% in Connecticut; 32.8% in Nevada). At the national and state levels, exposure to 4+ACEs was highest among adults aged 18-34 years, those who did not graduate from high school, or adults who did not have a healthcare provider. Racial/ethnic distribution of adults exposed to 4+ACEs varied by age and state. CONCLUSIONS: ACEs are common but not equally distributed. ACEs exposures estimated by state and sociodemographic group can help decisionmakers focus public health interventions on populations disproportionately impacted in their area.

IMPORTANCE: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are preventable, potentially traumatic events in childhood, such as experiencing abuse or neglect, witnessing violence, or living in a household with substance use disorder, mental health problems, or instability from parental separation or incarceration. Adults who had ACEs have more harmful risk behaviors and worse health outcomes; the economic burden associated with these issues is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the economic burden of ACE-associated health conditions among US adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this economic evaluation, regression models of cross-sectional survey data from the 2019-2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and previous studies were used to estimate ACE population-attributable fractions (PAFs) (ie, the fraction of total cases associated with a specific exposure) for selected health outcomes (anxiety, arthritis, asthma, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and violence) and risk factors (heavy drinking, illicit drug use, overweight and obesity, and smoking) among the 2019 US adult population. Adverse childhood experience PAFs were used to calculate the proportion of total condition-specific medical spending and lost healthy life-years related to ACEs using Global Burden of Disease Study data. Data analysis was performed from September 10, 2021, to November 29, 2022. EXPOSURE: Adverse childhood experiences (age <18 years). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Monetary valuation of ACE-associated morbidity and mortality using standard US value of statistical life methods and presented in terms of annual and lifetime per affected person and total population estimates at the national and state levels. RESULTS: A total of 820 673 adults, representing 255 million individuals, participated in the BRFSS in 2019 and 2020. An estimated 160 million of the total 255 million US adult population (63%) had 1 or more ACE, associated with an annual economic burden of $14.1 trillion ($183 billion in direct medical spending and $13.9 trillion in lost healthy life-years). This was $88 000 per affected adult annually and $2.4 million over their lifetimes. The lifetime economic burden per affected adult was lowest in North Dakota ($1.3 million) and highest in Arkansas ($4.3 million). Twenty-two percent of adults had 4 or more ACEs and comprised 58% of the total economic burden-the estimated per person lifetime economic burden for those adults was $4.0 million. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional analysis of the US adult population, the economic burden of ACE-related health conditions was substantial. The findings suggest that measuring the economic burden of ACEs can support decision-making about investing in strategies to improve population health.

INTRODUCTION: Data on the long-term and comprehensive cost of violence are essential for informed decision making on the future benefits of resources directed toward violence prevention. This review aimed to summarize original per person estimates of the attributable cost of interpersonal violence to support public health economic research and decision making. METHODS: In 2023, English-language peer-reviewed journal articles published 2000-2022 with high-income country focus reporting original per person average cost of violence estimates were identified using index terms in multiple databases. Study content including violence type (e.g., adverse childhood experiences, ACEs), timeline and payer cost perspective (e.g., hospitalization event-only health care payer cost), and associated per person cost estimates were summarized. Costs are 2022 USD. RESULTS: Per person cost estimates related to ACEs, community violence, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, homicide, firearm violence, youth violence, workplace violence, and bullying from 73 studies (majority U.S. focus) were summarized. For example, among 23 studies with ACEs focus, monetary estimates ranged from $390 for ACE-related annual health care out-of-pocket costs per U.S. adult with 3+ ACEs to $20.2m for the lifetime societal economic burden of a U.S. child maltreatment fatality. CONCLUSIONS: This review provides a descriptive summary of available per person cost of violence estimates. Results can help public health professionals describe the economic burden of violence, identify the best available estimate for a particular public health question, and address data gaps. Ultimately, understanding the long-term and comprehensive cost of violence is necessary to anticipate the economic benefits of prevention.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are defined as preventable, potentially traumatic events that occur among persons aged <18 years and are associated with numerous negative outcomes; data from 25 states indicate that ACEs are common among U.S. adults (1). Disparities in ACEs are often attributable to social and economic environments in which some families live (2,3). Understanding the prevalence of ACEs, stratified by sociodemographic characteristics, is essential to addressing and preventing ACEs and eliminating disparities, but population-level ACEs data collection has been sporadic (1). Using 2011-2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, CDC provides estimates of ACEs prevalence among U.S. adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and by key sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, 63.9% of U.S. adults reported at least one ACE; 17.3% reported four or more ACEs. Experiencing four or more ACEs was most common among females (19.2%), adults aged 25-34 years (25.2%), non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults (32.4%), non-Hispanic multiracial adults (31.5%), adults with less than a high school education (20.5%), and those who were unemployed (25.8%) or unable to work (28.8%). Prevalence of experiencing four or more ACEs varied substantially across jurisdictions, from 11.9% (New Jersey) to 22.7% (Oregon). Patterns in prevalence of individual and total number of ACEs varied by jurisdiction and sociodemographic characteristics, reinforcing the importance of jurisdiction and local collection of ACEs data to guide targeted prevention and decrease inequities. CDC has released prevention resources, including Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Leveraging the Best Available Evidence, to help provide jurisdictions and communities with the best available strategies to prevent violence and other ACEs, including guidance on how to implement those strategies for maximum impact (4-6).

The presence of amyloid kuru plaques is a pathological hallmark of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) of the MV2K subtype. Recently, PrP plaques (p) have been described in the white matter of a small group of CJD (p-CJD) cases with the 129MM genotype and carrying resPrP(D) type 1 (T1). Despite the different histopathological phenotype, the gel mobility and molecular features of p-CJD resPrP(D) T1 mimic those of sCJDMM1, the most common human prion disease. Here, we describe the clinical features, histopathology, and molecular properties of two distinct PrP plaque phenotypes affecting the gray matter (p(GM)) or the white matter (p(WM)) of sCJD cases with the PrP 129MM genotype (sCJDMM). Prevalence of p(GM)- and p(WM)-CJD proved comparable and was estimated to be ~ 0.6% among sporadic prion diseases and ~ 1.1% among the sCJDMM group. Mean age at onset (61 and 68 years) and disease duration (~ 7 months) of p(WM)- and p(GM)-CJD did not differ significantly. PrP plaques were mostly confined to the cerebellar cortex in p(GM)-CJD, but were ubiquitous in p(WM)-CJD. Typing of resPrP(D) T1 showed an unglycosylated fragment of ~ 20 kDa (T1(20)) in p(GM)-CJD and sCJDMM1 patients, while a doublet of ~ 21-20 kDa (T1(21-20)) was a molecular signature of p(WM)-CJD in subcortical regions. In addition, conformational characteristics of p(WM)-CJD resPrP(D) T1 differed from those of p(GM)-CJD and sCJDMM1. Inoculation of p(WM)-CJD and sCJDMM1 brain extracts to transgenic mice expressing human PrP reproduced the histotype with PrP plaques only in mice challenged with p(WM)-CJD. Furthermore, T1(20) of p(WM)-CJD, but not T1(21), was propagated in mice. These data suggest that T1(21) and T1(20) of p(WM)-CJD, and T1(20) of sCJDMM1 are distinct prion strains. Further studies are required to shed light on the etiology of p-CJD cases, particularly those of T1(20) of the novel p(GM)-CJD subtype.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death in the world, and 80% of all NCD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that patients with NCDs are at increased risk of becoming severely ill from the virus. Disproportionate investment in vertical health programs can result in health systems vulnerable to collapse when resources are strained, such as during pandemics. Although NCDs are largely preventable, globally there is underinvestment in efforts to address them. Integrating health systems to collectively address NCDs and infectious diseases through a wide range of services in a comprehensive manner reduces the economic burden of healthcare and strengthens the healthcare system. Health system resiliency is essential for health security. In this article, we provide an economically sound approach to incorporating NCDs into routine healthcare services in LMICs through improved alignment of institutions that support prevention and control of both NCDs and infectious diseases. Examples from Zambia's multisector interventions to develop and support a national NCD action plan can inform and encourage LMIC countries to invest in systems integration to reduce the social and economic burden of NCDs and infectious diseases.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Adolescents in the United States have undergone dramatic declines in pregnancies and births in recent decades. We aimed to estimate the contribution of changes in three proximal behaviors to these declines among 14-18-year-olds for 2007-2017: 1) delays in age at first sexual intercourse, 2) declines in number of sexual partners, and 3) changes in contraceptive use, particularly uptake of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). DESIGN: We adapted an existing iterative dynamic population model and parameterized it using six waves of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey. We compared pregnancies from observed behavioral trends with counterfactual scenarios that assumed constant behaviors over the decade. We calculated outcomes by cause, year and age. RESULTS: We found that changes in these behaviors could explain reductions of 496,200, 78,500, and 40,700 pregnancies over the decade, respectively, with total medical and societal cost savings of $9.71 billion, $1.54 billion, and $796 million. LARC adoption, particularly among 18-year-olds, could explain much of the improvements from contraception use. The three factors together did not fully explain observed birth declines; adding a 50% decline in sex acts per partner did. CONCLUSIONS: Delays in first sexual intercourse contributed the most to declining births over this decade, although all behaviors considered had major effects. Differences from earlier models may result from differences in years and ages covered. Evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs, including comprehensive sex education, youth-friendly reproductive health services and parental and community support can continue to address these drivers and reduce teen pregnancy.

Concurrent outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus serotypes 1 and 2 (cVDPV1, cVDPV2) were confirmed in the Republic of the Philippines in September 2019 and were subsequently confirmed in Malaysia by early 2020. There is continuous population subgroup movement in specific geographies between the two countries. Outbreak response efforts focused on sequential supplemental immunization activities with monovalent Sabin strain oral poliovirus vaccine type 2 (mOPV2) and bivalent oral poliovirus vaccines (bOPV, containing Sabin strain types 1 and 3) as well as activities to enhance poliovirus surveillance sensitivity to detect virus circulation. A total of six cVDPV1 cases, 13 cVDPV2 cases, and one immunodeficiency-associated vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 case were detected, and there were 35 cVDPV1 and 31 cVDPV2 isolates from environmental surveillance sewage collection sites. No further cVDPV1 or cVDPV2 have been detected in either country since March 2020. Response efforts in both countries encountered challenges, particularly those caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Important lessons were identified and could be useful for other countries that experience outbreaks of concurrent cVDPV serotypes.

Achieving global elimination of hepatitis C virus requires a substantial scale-up of testing. Point-of-care HCV viral load assays are available as an alternative to laboratory-based assays to promote access in hard to reach or marginalized populations. The diagnostic performance and lower limit of detection are important attributes of these new assays for both diagnosis and test of cure. Therefore, our objective was to determine an acceptable LLoD for detectable HCV viraemia as a test for cure, 12-weeks post-treatment (SVR12). We assembled a global dataset of patients with detectable viraemia at SVR12 from observational databases from 9 countries (Egypt, the United States, United Kingdom, Georgia, Ukraine, Myanmar, Cambodia, Pakistan, Mozambique), and two pharmaceutical-sponsored clinical trial registries. We examined the distribution of HCV viral load at SVR12 and presented the 90(th) , 95th, 97th, and 99th percentiles. We used logistic regression to assess characteristics associated with low-level virological treatment failure (defined as <1000 IU/mL). There were 5,973 cases of detectable viremia at SVR12 from the combined dataset. Median detectable HCV RNA at SVR12 was 287,986 IU/mL. The level of detection for the 95(th) percentile was 227 IU/mL (95% CI 170-276). Females and those with minimal fibrosis were more likely to experience low-level viremia at SVR12 compared to men (adjusted odds ratio AOR = 1.60 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30-1.97 and those with cirrhosis (AOR=1.49 95% CI 1.15-1.93). In conclusion, an assay with a level of detection of 1000 IU/mL or greater may miss a proportion of those with low-level treatment failure.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis can be transmitted via organ donation and result in severe outcomes. To better understand donor-derived tuberculosis (DDTB), all potential transmissions reported to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee between 2008-2018 were analyzed. Among 51 total reports, nine (17%) (9 donors/35 recipients) had 1 recipient with proven/probable disease transmission. Of these, eight were reported due to recipient disease, and one was reported due to a positive donor result. Proven/probable DDTB transmissions were reported in six lung and five non-lung recipients. The median time to diagnosis was 104 days post-transplant (range 0-165 days). Pulmonary TB, extrapulmonary TB, pulmonary plus extrapulmonary TB, and asymptomatic TB infection with positive interferon-gamma release assay were present in five, three, one, and two recipients, respectively. All recipients received treatment and survived except for one whose death was not attributed to TB. All donors associated with proven/probable DDTB had 1 TB risk factor. Six were born in a TB-endemic country, five had traveled to a TB-endemic country, 3 had been incarcerated, and 3 had latent TB infection. These cases highlight the importance of evaluating donors for TB based on risk factors. Early post-transplant TB in organ recipients of donors with TB risk factors requires prompt reporting to OPTN to identify other potential affected recipients and implement timely treatment interventions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allocates funds annually to state and local programs in the United States to monitor and prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In 2014 a funding formula was implemented to allocate prevention funds to jurisdictions according to their STD burden and population size. We estimated the effect of implementing the funding formula in terms of gonorrhea cases averted from 2014-2018, a period during which inflation-adjusted CDC STD prevention funding declined. METHODS: Our model assumed that STD prevention funds have a measurable effect on subsequent reported gonorrhea case rates, and the magnitude of this effect was as estimated in an empirical analysis of decades of state-level gonorrhea rates. In applying this equation-based model, we assumed all factors affecting jurisdictions' gonorrhea rates were constant over time except for their STD prevention funding allocations. We used data on CDC STD prevention funding allocated to each jurisdiction over time. We estimated gonorrhea rates under the "funding formula" scenario compared to a hypothetical "status quo" funding scenario, which reflected traditional methods to allocate prevention funds. RESULTS: In the model, gonorrhea cases increased from 2014-2018 by approximately 6% due to a decline in prevention funding, regardless of how funds were allocated. However, the estimated increase in gonorrhea cases was 5,222 (range: 1,181-9,195) cases less in the "funding formula" scenario than in the "status quo" scenario. CONCLUSIONS: By shifting resources towards jurisdictions with greater disease burden, the funding formula averted a substantial number of gonorrhea cases at no additional cost.

PURPOSE: We examined condom use patterns and potential population-level effects of a hypothetical condom intervention on HIV transmission among adolescent sexual minority males (ASMM). METHODS: Using three datasets: national Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2015-2017 (YRBS-National), local YRBS data from 8 jurisdictions with sex of partner questions from 2011-2017 (YRBS-Trends), and American Men's Internet Survey (AMIS) 2014-2017, we assessed associations of condom use with year, age, and race/ethnicity among sexually-active ASMM. Using a stochastic agent-based network epidemic model, structured and parameterized based on the above analyses, we calculated the percent of HIV infections averted over 10 years among ASMM ages 13-18 by an intervention that increased condom use by 37% for 5 years and was delivered to 62% of ASMM at age 14. RESULTS: In YRBS, 51.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 41.3-62.3%) and 37.9% (32.7-42.3%) reported condom use at last sexual intercourse in national and trend datasets, respectively. In AMIS, 47.3% (95%CI = 44.6-49.9%) reported condom use at last anal sex with a male partner. Temporal trends were not observed in any dataset (p > 0.1). Condom use varied significantly by age in YRBS-National (p < 0.0001) and YRBS-Trends (p = 0.032) with 13-15-year-olds reporting the lowest use in both; age differences were not significant in AMIS (p = 0.919). Our hypothetical intervention averted a mean of 9.0% (95% simulation interval = -5.4%-21.2%) of infections among ASMM. CONCLUSIONS: Condom use among ASMM is low and appears to have remained stable during 2011-2017. Modeling suggests that condom use increases consistent with previous interventions have potential to avert 1 in 11 new HIV infections among ASMM.

BACKGROUND: Rates of adolescent sexual activity have long been declining in the United States. We sought to estimate the number of cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia averted over one decade associated with these declines, and associated costs saved. METHODS: We analyzed data from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey of US high-school students from 2007-2017 and combined it with epidemiological estimates drawn from the literature to parameterize a dynamic population transmission model. We compared transmissions from observed behavioral trends to a counterfactual scenario that assumed sexual behaviors from 2007 remained constant over 10 years. We calculated outcomes by age and for three racial/ethnic groups (Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White adolescents) who vary on underlying burden and amount of behavioral change. RESULTS: We estimated 1,118,483 cases of chlamydia and 214,762 cases of gonorrhea were averted (19.5% of burden across all ages). This yielded $474 million (2017 dollars) savings in medical costs over the decade. The largest number of averted cases (767,543) was among Black adolescents, but the largest proportion (28.7%) was among Hispanic adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Whatever its origins, changing sexual behavior among adolescents results in large estimated reductions in STI burden and medical costs relative to previous cohorts. Although diagnoses among adolescents have not declined at this rate, multiple explanations could make these apparently divergent trends consistent. Efforts to continue supporting effective sex education in and out of school along with STI screening for adolescents should reinforce these gains.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia screening in high schools offers a way to reach adolescents outside of a traditional clinic setting. Using transmission dynamic modeling, we examined the potential impact of high-school-based chlamydia screening programs on the burden of infection within intervention schools and surrounding communities, under varying epidemiological and programmatic conditions. METHODS: A chlamydia transmission model was calibrated to epidemiological data from three different settings. Philadelphia and Chicago are two high-burden cities with existing school-based screening programs. Rural Iowa does not have an existing program but represents a low-burden setting. We modeled the effects of the two existing programs to analyze the potential influence of program coverage and student participation. All three settings were used to examine a broader set of hypothetical programs with varying coverage levels and time trends in participation. RESULTS: In the modeled Philadelphia program, prevalence among the intervention schools' sexually active 15-18 years old population was 4.34% (95% credible interval 3.75-4.71%)after 12 program years compared to 5.03% (4.39-5.43%) in absence of the program. In the modeled Chicago program, prevalence was estimated as 5.97% (2.60-7.88%) after 4 program years compared to 7.00% (3.08-9.29%) without the program. In the broader hypothetical scenarios including both high-burden and low-burden settings, impact of school-based screening programs was greater in absolute terms in the higher-prevalence settings, and benefits in the community were approximately proportional to population coverage of intervention schools. Most benefits were garnered if the student participation did not decline over time. CONCLUSIONS: Sustained high student participation in school-based screening programs and broad coverage of schools within a target community are likely needed to maximize program benefits in terms of reduced burden of chlamydia in the adolescent population.

PURPOSE: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)-an effective and safe intervention to prevent HIV transmission-was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use by adolescents. Informed by studies of sexual behavior and PrEP adherence, retention, and promotion, we model the potential impact of PrEP use among at-risk adolescent sexual minority males. METHODS: We simulate an HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 13-39. We assume adult MSM ages 19-39 have had PrEP available for 3 years with 20% coverage among eligible MSM based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. PrEP interventions for ages 16-18 are then simulated using adherence and retention profiles drawn from the ATN113 and Enhancing Preexposure Prophylaxis in Community studies across a range of uptake parameters (10%-100%). Partnerships across age groups were modeled using parameterizations from the RADAR study. We compare the percent of incident infections averted (impact), person-years on PrEP per infection averted (efficiency), and changes in prevalence over 10 years. RESULTS: As compared to no PrEP use, baseline PrEP adherence and retention among adolescent sexual minority males drawn from the ATN113 and Enhancing Preexposure Prophylaxis in Community studies averted from 2.8% to 41.0% of HIV infections depending on the fraction of eligible adolescent sexual minority males that initiated PrEP at their annual health-care visit. Improved adherence and retention achieved with an array of focused interventions from real-world settings increased the percent of infections averted by as much as 26%-70%. CONCLUSIONS: Empirically demonstrated improvements in the PrEP continuum of care in response to existing interventions can substantially reduce incident HIV infections among adolescent sexual minority males.

OBJECTIVES: The risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission can be reduced to </=0.5% if the mother's HIV status is known before delivery. This study describes 2006-2014 trends in diagnosed HIV infection documented on delivery discharge records and associated sociodemographic characteristics among women who gave birth in US hospitals. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2006-2014 National Inpatient Sample and identified delivery discharges and women with diagnosed HIV infection by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. We used a generalized linear model with log link and binomial distribution to assess trends and the association of sociodemographic characteristics with an HIV diagnosis on delivery discharge records. RESULTS: During 2006-2014, an HIV diagnosis was documented on approximately 3900-4400 delivery discharge records annually. The probability of having an HIV diagnosis on delivery discharge records decreased 3% per year (adjusted relative risk [aRR] = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99), with significant declines identified among white women aged 25-34 (aRR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.97) or those using Medicaid (aRR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.90-0.97); among black women aged 25-34 (aRR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99); and among privately insured women who were black (aRR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99), Hispanic (aRR = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.98), or aged 25-34 (aRR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99). The probability of having an HIV diagnosis on delivery discharge records was greater for women who were black (aRR = 8.45; 95% CI, 7.56-9.44) or Hispanic (aRR = 1.56; 95% CI, 1.33-1.83) than white; for women aged 25-34 (aRR = 2.33; 95% CI, 2.12-2.55) or aged >/=35 (aRR = 3.04; 95% CI, 2.79-3.31) than for women aged 13-24; and for Medicaid recipients (aRR = 2.70; 95% CI, 2.45-2.98) or the uninsured (aRR = 1.87; 95% CI, 1.60-2.19) than for privately insured patients. CONCLUSION: During 2006-2014, the probability of having an HIV diagnosis declined among select sociodemographic groups of women delivering neonates. High-impact prevention efforts tailored to women remaining at higher risk for HIV infection can reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Purpose: Adolescents aged 13–18 years bear a large burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and changing adolescent sexual risk behavior is a key component of reducing this burden. We demonstrate a novel publicly available modeling tool (teen-SPARC) to help state and local health departments predict the impact of behavioral change on gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV burden among adolescents. Methods: Teen-SPARC is built in Excel for familiarity and ease and parameterized using data from CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. We present teen-SPARC's methods, including derivation of national parameters and instructions to obtain local parameters. We model multiple scenarios of increasing condom use and estimate the impact on gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV incidence, comparing national and New York State (NYS) results. Results: A 1% annual increase in condom use (consistent with Healthy People 2020 goals) could prevent nearly 10,000 cases of STIs nationwide. Increases in condom use of 17.1%, 2.2%, and 25.5% in NYS would be necessary to avert 1000 cases of gonorrhea, 1000 cases of chlamydia, and 10 cases of HIV infection, respectively. Additional results disaggregate outcomes by age, sex, partner sex, jurisdiction, and pathogen. Conclusion: Teen-SPARC may be able to assist health departments aiming to tailor behavioral interventions for STI prevention among adolescents.

The United States is in the midst of unprecedented person-to-person hepatitis A outbreaks. By using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data, we estimated the average costs per hepatitis A-related hospitalization in 2017. These estimates can guide investment in outbreak prevention efforts to stop the spread of this vaccine-preventable disease.

BACKGROUND: The WHO elimination strategy for hepatitis C virus advocates scaling up screening and treatment to reduce global hepatitis C incidence by 80% by 2030, but little is known about how this reduction could be achieved and the costs of doing so. We aimed to evaluate the effects and cost of different strategies to scale up screening and treatment of hepatitis C in Pakistan and determine what is required to meet WHO elimination targets for incidence. METHODS: We adapted a previous model of hepatitis C virus transmission, treatment, and disease progression for Pakistan, calibrating using available data to incorporate a detailed cascade of care for hepatitis C with cost data on diagnostics and hepatitis C treatment. We modelled the effect on various outcomes and costs of alternative scenarios for scaling up screening and hepatitis C treatment in 2018-30. We calibrated the model to country-level demographic data for 1960-2015 (including population growth) and to hepatitis C seroprevalence data from a national survey in 2007-08, surveys among people who inject drugs (PWID), and hepatitis C seroprevalence trends among blood donors. The cascade of care in our model begins with diagnosis of hepatitis C infection through antibody screening and RNA confirmation. Diagnosed individuals are then referred to care and started on treatment, which can result in a sustained virological response (effective cure). We report the median and 95% uncertainty interval (UI) from 1151 modelled runs. FINDINGS: One-time screening of 90% of the 2018 population by 2030, with 80% referral to treatment, was projected to lead to 13.8 million (95% UI 13.4-14.1) individuals being screened and 350 000 (315 000-385 000) treatments started annually, decreasing hepatitis C incidence by 26.5% (22.5-30.7) over 2018-30. Prioritised screening of high prevalence groups (PWID and adults aged >/=30 years) and rescreening (annually for PWID, otherwise every 10 years) are likely to increase the number screened and treated by 46.8% and decrease incidence by 50.8% (95% UI 46.1-55.0). Decreasing hepatitis C incidence by 80% is estimated to require a doubling of the primary screening rate, increasing referral to 90%, rescreening the general population every 5 years, and re-engaging those lost to follow-up every 5 years. This approach could cost US$8.1 billion, reducing to $3.9 billion with lowest costs for diagnostic tests and drugs, including health-care savings, and implementing a simplified treatment algorithm. INTERPRETATION: Pakistan will need to invest about 9.0% of its yearly health expenditure to enable sufficient scale up in screening and treatment to achieve the WHO hepatitis C elimination target of an 80% reduction in incidence by 2030. FUNDING: UNITAID.

PURPOSE: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been proven safe and effective in preventing HIV among adolescent sexual minority males (ASMM), but the cost-effectiveness of PrEP in ASMM remains unknown. Building on a recent epidemiological network modeling study of PrEP among ASMM, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of PrEP use in a high prevalence U.S. setting with significant disparities in HIV between black and white ASMM. METHODS: Based on the estimated number of infections averted and the number of ASMM on PrEP from the previous model and published estimates of PrEP costs, HIV treatment costs, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained per infection prevented, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of PrEP use in black and white ASMM over 10 years using a societal perspective and lifetime horizon. Effectiveness was measured as lifetime QALYs gained. Cost estimates included 10-year PrEP costs and lifetime HIV treatment costs saved. Cost-effectiveness was measured as cost/QALY gained. Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed on key model input parameters and assumptions used. RESULTS: Under base-case assumptions, PrEP use yielded an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $33,064 per QALY in black ASMM and $427,788 per QALY in white ASMM. In all sensitivity analyses, the cost-effectiveness ratio of PrEP use remained <$100,000 per QALY in black ASMM and >$100,000 per QALY in white ASMM. CONCLUSIONS: We found favorable cost-effectiveness ratios for PrEP use among black ASMM or other ASMM in communities with high HIV burden at current PrEP costs. Clinicians providing services in high-prevalence communities, and particularly those serving high-prevalence communities of color, should consider including PrEP services.

In July 2017, fever and sepsis developed in 3 recipients of solid organs (1 heart and 2 kidneys) from a common donor in the United States; 1 of the kidney recipients died. Tularemia was suspected only after blood cultures from the surviving kidney recipient grew Francisella species. The organ donor, a middle-aged man from the southwestern United States, had been hospitalized for acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome, pneumonia, and multiorgan failure. F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (clade A2) was cultured from archived spleen tissue from the donor and blood from both kidney recipients. Whole-genome multilocus sequence typing indicated that the isolated strains were indistinguishable. The heart recipient remained seronegative with negative blood cultures but had been receiving antimicrobial drugs for a medical device infection before transplant. Two lagomorph carcasses collected near the donor's residence were positive by PCR for F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (clade A2). This investigation documents F. tularensis transmission by solid organ transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective and safe intervention approved for use to prevent HIV transmission. PrEP scale-up strategies and clinical practice are currently being informed by modeling studies, which have estimated the impact of PrEP in adult and adolescent MSM populations separately. This partitioning may miss important effects or yield biased estimates by excluding dependencies between populations. METHODS: We combined two published models of HIV transmission among adults and adolescent MSM. We simulated an HIV epidemic among MSM aged 13-39 without PrEP, with PrEP for adult MSM ages (19-39) and with the addition of PrEP for adolescents ages (16-18), comparing percent of incident infections averted (impact), the number of person-years on PrEP per infection averted (efficiency), and changes in prevalence. RESULTS: PrEP use among eligible 19-39 year old MSM averted 29.0% of infections and reduced HIV prevalence from 23.2% to 17.0% over ten years in the population as a whole. Despite being ineligible for PrEP in this scenario, prevalence among sexually active 18 year-olds declined from 6.0% to 4.3% due to reduced transmissions across age cohorts. The addition of PrEP for adolescents ages 16-18 had a small impact on the overall epidemic, further reducing overall prevalence from 17.0% to 16.8%; however prevalence among the sexually active 18 year-olds further declined from 4.3% to 3.8%. CONCLUSIONS: PrEP use among adults may significantly reduce HIV prevalence among MSM and may also have significant downstream effects on HIV incidence among adolescents; PrEP targeting adolescents remains an important intervention for HIV prevention.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the cost of establishing and operating a comprehensive syringe service program (SSP) free to clients in the United States. METHODS: We identified the major cost components of a comprehensive SSP: (one-time start-up cost, and annual costs associated with personnel, operations, and prevention/medical services) and estimated the anticipated total costs (2016 US dollars) based on program size (number of clients served each year) and geographic location of the service (rural, suburban, and urban). RESULTS: The estimated costs ranged from $0.4 million for a small rural SSP (serving 250 clients) to $1.9 million for a large urban SSP (serving 2,500 clients), of which 1.6% and 0.8% is the start-up cost of a small rural and large urban SSP, respectively. Cost per syringe distributed varied from $3 (small urban SSP) to $1 (large rural SSP), and cost per client per year varied from $2000 (small urban SSP) to $700 (large rural SSP). CONCLUSIONS: Estimates of the cost of SSPs in the United States vary by number of clients served and geographic location of service. Accurate costing can be useful for planning programs, developing policy, allocating funds for establishing and supporting SSPs, and providing data for economic evaluation of SSPs.

Background:Violent crime rates are often correlated with the hard-to-measure social determinants of sexually transmissible infections (STIs). In this study, we examined whether including violent crime rate as an independent variable can improve the quality of ecological regression models of STIs. Methods: We obtained multiyear (2008-12) cross-sectional county-level data on violent crime and three STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis) from counties in all the contiguous states in the US (except Illinois and Florida, due to lack of data). We used two measures of STI morbidity (one categorical and one continuous) and applied spatial regression with the spatial error model for each STI, with and without violent crime rate as an independent variable. We computed the associated Akaike's information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) as our measure of the relative goodness of fit of the models. Results: Including the violent crime rate as an independent variable improved the quality of the regression models after controlling for several sociodemographic factors. We found that the lower calculated AICs and BICs indicated more favourable goodness of fit in all the models that included violent crime rates, except for the categorical P&S syphilis model, in which the violent crime variable was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Because violent crime rates can account for the hard-to-measure social determinants of STIs, including violent crime rate as an independent variable can improve ecological regression models of STIs.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the number and cost of hospitalizations with a diagnosis of active tuberculosis (TB) disease in the United States. METHODS: We analyzed the 2014 National In-Patient Sample using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9) codes to identify hospitalizations with a principal (TB-PD) or any secondary discharge (TB-SD) TB diagnosis. We used a generalized linear model with log link and gamma distribution to estimate the cost per TB-PD and TB-SD episode adjusted for patient demographics, insurer, clinical elements, and hospital characteristics. RESULTS: We estimated 4985 TB-PD and 6080 TB-SD hospitalizations nationwide. TB-PD adjusted averaged $16 695 per episode (95%CI $16 168-$17 221). The average for miliary/disseminated TB ($22 498, 95%CI $21 067-$23 929) or TB of the central nervous system ($28 338, 95%CI $25 836-$30 840) was significantly greater than for pulmonary TB ($14 819, 95%CI $14 284-$15 354). The most common principal diagnoses for TB-SD were septicemia (n = 965 hospitalizations), human immunodeficiency virus infection (n = 610), pneumonia (n = 565), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiectasis (COPD-B, n = 150). The adjusted average cost per TB-SD episode was $15 909 (95%CI $15 337-$16 481), varying between $8687 (95%CI $8337-$9036) for COPD-B and $23 335 (95%CI $21 979-$24 690) for septicemia. TB-PD cost the US health care system $123.4 million (95%CI $106.3-$140.5) and TB-SD cost $141.9 million ($128.4-$155.5), of which Medicaid/Medicare covered respectively 67.2% and 69.7%. CONCLUSIONS: TB hospitalizations result in substantial costs within the US health care system.