The impact of the full program (prenatal and infancy home visitation) on children's use of
alcohol and number of sexual partners is important because recent evidence indicates that
alcohol use prior to age 15 years multiplies the risk of alcoholism in adulthood26 and multiple partners increase the risk for sexually transmitted diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus infection.27, 28 The effect of the program on
alcohol use is
consistent with greater
alcohol consumption observed among adult rhesus monkeys who experienced aberrant rearing.29 These findings must be tempered, however,
with an acknowledgment of their limitations.