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May 17, 2000 9:54 AM, EDT

Long-haul drivers engaging in truck-stop sex are at high risk to contract the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, according to a study done for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Perhaps the most significant finding for trucking is that “behavior patterns . . . such as sleep deprivation, driving long hours and alcohol, cigarette and caffeine use” are high on the list of factors leading to an increased risk of HIV infection for long-haul truckers, according to the research by the University of Florida at Gainesville.

HIV infection can lead to potentially lethal acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The CDC reported in 1998 that 688,200 Americans had been diagnosed with AIDS since the epidemic began. In the 33 states and territories that report infections, there were 1,871 new cases of people with the diseases that year.

The trucker study said stress created by deregulation in the 1980s led to ever-increasing demands for just-in-time delivery, which in turn led to more drug use and high-risk sexual behavior among over-the-road drivers.

For the full story, see the May 15 print edition of Transport Topics. .