HIV and STI knowledge, testing, and risk among adult crack users in Mexico city: baseline findings from a feasibility study

Abstract

Recent research has documented crack cocaine’s increasing spread in Mexico, which is likely to contribute to the rapid transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In Mexico, crack use is increasing most rapidly in vulnerable, hard to reach populations, where little is known about risk behaviors. This report aims to present baseline data regarding HIV and STI knowledge and testing prevalence from an innovative projection mapping HIV intervention, in which 3-D illusions, animation, and visual text graphics and sound are projected onto buildings with health messages that were designed to disrupt everyday life and connect with the target population. Fifty-eight men and women who used crack in the past month without receiving drug treatment were recruited and interviewed before the projection mapping intervention took place. Testing instruments included a socio-demographic assessment, drug use and treatment profile, HIV and STI knowledge questionnaires, and a sex and drug risk assessment. The mean scores for respondents on the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire (10.5 out of 18, 58.3%) and STD Knowledge Questionnaire (9.5 out of 27, 35.2%) were both low. Respondents also reported high rates of sexual risk behaviors, with 73% reporting never using a condom and 64% never being tested for HIV. This report provides a portrait of STI and HIV risk among a vulnerable population in Mexico City and the need for urgent interventions to prevent the spread of STIs and HIV. The associated projection mapping intervention will seek to increase HIV and STI knowledge and reduce risk in this hard to reach population.

HIV prevention and crack harm reduction using projection mapping in Mexico City

“…As previously reported (Cepeda et al, 2017), this sample, overall, demonstrates low knowledge of HIV. Of 18 true/false questions in the HIV-KQ-18, the average number of correct responses was 10.4, median = 11, interquartile range (IQR) = 8 to 13, with only 30% ‘passing’ or getting at least 70% of the items correct.…”

“…Participants were surveyed at baseline to assess preexisting HIV knowledge, medical history, drug use and drug and sexual risk behaviour. A descriptive analysis of baseline findings is published elsewhere (Cepeda et al, 2017). Three months following the implementation of TE:IMS, the research team relocated and interviewed 35 of the original participants for a posttest assessment.…”

A Cross-Sectional Study on the Knowledge of Sexually Transmitted Diseases among Young Adults Living in Albaha, Saudi Arabia

“…Several studies in the literature developed different types of questionnaires aimed at assessing the knowledge and awareness of STDs; however, evidence from such studies may be limited due to I) lack of reliability of developed questionnaires, and II) inability to compare and/or merge outcomes from these studies. Several studies have applied predesigned questionnaires, such as the STDs knowledge questionnaire (STDs-KQ), which was first developed by Jaworski and Carey in 2007 for the purpose of evaluating the knowledge of STDs [12,[24][25][26][27]. Applying a standardized or unified questionnaire has several advantages.…”

Are men who have sex with men at higher risk for HIV in Latin America more aware of PrEP?

“…The HIRI-MSM score is dependent on the respondent's age, the number of male sex partners in the last 6 months, the number of times the respondent had receptive anal sex with another male in the last 6 months, the number of HIV positive male sex partners, the number of times the participant had insertive anal sex with another PLOS ONE male in the last 6 months, methamphetamine use in the last 6 months, and use of poppers in the last 6 months. Cocaine was used in addition to methamphetamine as methamphetamine use was virtually non-existent in our study population [29,30,[35][36][37][38][39][40]. The HIRI-MSM score has been previously used by the Unite States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York State Department of Health as a tool to identify eligible candidates for PrEP [30,41].…”