A nurse working in a community health setting is performing primary health screenings. Which individual is at highest risk for contracting an HIV infection?

A nurse working in a community health setting is performing primary health screenings. Which individual is at highest risk for contracting an HIV infection?

• A. A 17-year-old sexually active with numerous partners
• B. A 45-year-old lesbian with two partners in the past year
• C. A 30-year-old cocaine user who inhales the drug and works in a topless bar
• D. A 34-year-old male homosexual who is in a monogamous relationship

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that HIV risk increases with exposure to infected body fluids, especially through sexual activity with multiple partners and without consistent protection. Having numerous sexual partners means more opportunities to encounter an HIV-positive partner, and if condoms aren’t used consistently, each new encounter adds to the overall risk. That combination—many partners plus potential unprotected sex—creates the highest likelihood of exposure compared with the other scenarios. In contrast, someone in a monogamous relationship has limited exposure, and a person described as having two partners in the past year, while not risk-free, presents fewer opportunities for transmission than the teen who has many partners. The individual who uses cocaine by inhalation doesn’t inject drugs, so needle-sharing risk is lower, though sexual risk still exists; but the key factor driving highest risk in this set is the number of sexual partners.

The main idea here is that HIV risk increases with exposure to infected body fluids, especially through sexual activity with multiple partners and without consistent protection. Having numerous sexual partners means more opportunities to encounter an HIV-positive partner, and if condoms aren’t used consistently, each new encounter adds to the overall risk. That combination—many partners plus potential unprotected sex—creates the highest likelihood of exposure compared with the other scenarios. In contrast, someone in a monogamous relationship has limited exposure, and a person described as having two partners in the past year, while not risk-free, presents fewer opportunities for transmission than the teen who has many partners. The individual who uses cocaine by inhalation doesn’t inject drugs, so needle-sharing risk is lower, though sexual risk still exists; but the key factor driving highest risk in this set is the number of sexual partners.