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 retard ation who are infected with HIV. Using a datafile created by a match betwee n 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 retarda tion (N = 119) that has been reported to date. Compared to other HIV-infect ed New Jersey Medicaid recipients, individuals in this subgroup were more l ikely to be female, Black, and have injection drug use as a route of infect ion. Implications for delivery of appropriate services are discussed.