Which of the following statements is true?

• A. The annual new HIV infections in the U.S. are about 38,000, and the HBV vaccine was licensed in 1982.
• B. The HBV vaccine was licensed in 1982, but HIV has no reported cases in the U.S.
• C. HBV can survive outside the body for 14 days, and HIV infects 1.1 million people.
• D. HIV infection strengthens the immune system.

Answer: (A)

The question tests understanding of two factual points that matter for infection prevention in body art settings: how many new HIV infections occur annually in the U.S. and when the hepatitis B vaccine was licensed. The statement that best fits known data is that about 38,000 new HIV infections occur each year in the U.S. and that the HBV vaccine was licensed in 1982. The 38,000-per-year figure is a commonly cited estimate used in public health references, reflecting the ongoing impact of HIV. The hepatitis B vaccine licensing in 1982 marks a milestone in preventing a bloodborne infection that is especially relevant to tattooing and piercing, where exposure to blood and needles is a daily consideration.

Why the other statements aren’t correct: one asserts there are no reported HIV cases in the U.S., which is clearly false given decades of surveillance. Another claims HBV can survive outside the body for 14 days; while HBV can persist on surfaces for extended periods, common references do not support a strict 14-day figure, and the exact duration isn’t the point—the claim is not accurate. The suggestion that HIV infects 1.1 million people mixes a population figure with an event rate and isn’t framed as a factual annual infection count, making it misleading. Finally, that HIV infection strengthens the immune system contradicts fundamental immunology.