Characteristics of persons with mental retardation and HIV/AIDS infection in a statewide medicaid population

Very little is known about the characteristics of people with mental retardation who are infected with HIV. Using a datafile created by a match between the New Jersey HIV and AIDS Registry file through March 1996 and the New Jersey Medicaid eligibility file for the period August 1993 to March 1996, we identified the largest group of HIV-infected persons with mental retardation (N = 119) that has been reported to date. Compared to other HIV-infected New Jersey Medicaid recipients, individuals in this subgroup were more likely to be female, Black, and have injection drug use as a route of infection. Implications for delivery of appropriate services are discussed.