title: [The serological exam for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as part of the premarital exams].
abstract: Due to the presence of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), it has been frequently stated, by several segments of the society, that mandatory human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing as premarital requirement is useful for AIDS prevention. The usefulness of these tests among general population are discussed, as well as some problems for its eventual implementation, concluding that this screening procedure is impractical, inefficient and expensive as a public health measure. The overall HIV prevalence in Mexico is very low (4 per 10,000), therefore, a person from this population with a positive screening test, has a slight chance of being truly infected (16%), in other words, screening tests have a low positive predictive value in general population. Conversely, having a negative screening test, predicts this state accurately (negative predictive value greater than 99%). Several problems arise when HIV screening tests are applied: logistics, for example avoidance of the tests, economic, ethic, and human rights problems, among others. It is concluded that mandatory HIV screening tests are not cost-efficient and that there are other options, for instance education, which would imply better changes for HIV prevention.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Izazola Licea
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez Pérez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: del Río Chiriboga
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D011291:Premarital Examinations / Q000191:economics; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies
vernacular_title: El examen serológico para el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) como parte de los exámenes prenupciales.