What is safe sex? Suggested standards linked to testing for human immunodeficiency virus.

Because of the lethality of the HIV epidemic, rational and scientifically defined standards of sex that preclude the spread of sexually transmitted diseases are required. In the context of an HIV-antibody test that has been documented to be extremely sensitive and specific, standards for truly safe sex can be defined. HIV testing can be used as a powerful tool for defining a series of standards for sexual partners that eliminates, with reasonable certainty, the further spread of HIV. Such standards provide a defined benchmark for future research aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of public health measures in arresting the spread of the virus. The fact that at least 10 million American blood donors and some 2 million Americans applying for or in the armed forces have been tested demonstrates that the adverse consequences of testing can be limited. Now is the time to minimize the fear and eliminate the risk of transmitting HIV to loved ones by urging widespread voluntary testing of sexually active adults and by developing standards for safe sex.