A Policy Model of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening and Intervention

The epidemics of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and its causative agent, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are serious and growing. In response to the epidemic, policy makers have instituted a variety of interventions, often before careful studies of program costs and benefits have been carried out. We have developed an analytic decision model to assess HIV screening and intervention policies. The model is a dynamic compartmental epidemic model that captures disease transmission and disease progression, behavioral changes, and the effects of screening and other interventions. We illustrate the model by analyzing screening programs aimed at reducing the birthrate of HIV-infected infants.