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The Risk of Suicide in Persons With AIDS

The Risk of Suicide in Persons With AIDS To the Editor.— Marzuk and colleagues1 have prepared a disturbing and thoughtprovoking analysis demonstrating an increased rate of suicide among men who have been recently diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We believe that they overstimated the risk of suicide by using inappropriate comparison populations. Nine of the 12 male AIDS patients who committed suicide in New York were known to be homosexual. Although good epidemiologic studies are lacking, homosexuality may be a risk factor for suicide. One study2 demonstrated a 17-fold increased risk for unnatural deaths (preponderantly suicide and accidents that could have represented suicide) for intravenous drug users and homosexuals. If a population of homosexual men had been used for comparison, the relative risk of suicide for patients with AIDS would have been much less than the 36-fold increased risk calculated by the authors. Your editorialist, Dr Glass,3 suggested that human immnunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png JAMA American Medical Association

The Risk of Suicide in Persons With AIDS

Hull, Harry F.; Sewell, C. Mack; Wilson, Jane; McFeeley, Patricia
JAMA , Volume 260 (1) – Jul 1, 1988
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References (7)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1988 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/DFARS Restrictions Apply to Government Use.
ISSN
0098-7484
eISSN
1538-3598
DOI
10.1001/jama.1988.03410010037016
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

To the Editor.— Marzuk and colleagues1 have prepared a disturbing and thoughtprovoking analysis demonstrating an increased rate of suicide among men who have been recently diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We believe that they overstimated the risk of suicide by using inappropriate comparison populations. Nine of the 12 male AIDS patients who committed suicide in New York were known to be homosexual. Although good epidemiologic studies are lacking, homosexuality may be a risk factor for suicide. One study2 demonstrated a 17-fold increased risk for unnatural deaths (preponderantly suicide and accidents that could have represented suicide) for intravenous drug users and homosexuals. If a population of homosexual men had been used for comparison, the relative risk of suicide for patients with AIDS would have been much less than the 36-fold increased risk calculated by the authors. Your editorialist, Dr Glass,3 suggested that human immnunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing

Journal

JAMA – American Medical Association

Published: Jul 1, 1988

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