Temporal Trends in HIV Risk Behaviors of Out-of-Treatment Injection Drug Users and Injection Drug Users Who Smoke Crack

Abstract

This study compared the baseline sociodemographic characteristics and HIV risk behaviors of two groups of out-of-treatment injection drug users (IDUs): 366 who concurrently smoked crack (smoking IDUs) and 212 who did not smoke crack (IDUs) in the past 30 days. Temporal trends in recent risk behaviors were also assessed for each drug user group over an 18-month period, January 1992 through June 1994. Baseline data were collected in South Philadelphia before the implementation of a multisite HIV intervention research project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. For the temporal trend analysis, the sample was grouped into four intake periods based on the date of the baseline interview. The results indicated that although both groups were economically disadvantaged and at high risk of HIV infection and transmission, smoking injectors had fewer economic resources and were at a moderately greater risk because of higher levels of sexual risk behaviors. Analysis of temporal trends revealed few reductions in drug risk behaviors and none in sexual risk behaviors. This study points to the need for examining differences between types of drug users, developing appropriate multidrug treatment programs and assessing the characteristics of communities so that theory-based interventions can be tailored for maximum effectiveness.

Substance abuse treatment and risk behaviors among HIV-infected persons with alcohol problems

“…It is possible that periodic assessments of HIV risk behaviors could be a marker of quality of substance abuse treatment used in the accreditation process of substance abuse treatment programs. Although we saw no relationship between substance use treatment exposure and HIV risk behaviors, consistent with other studies (Booth et al, 2000;Fuller et al, 2002;Latkin, Mandell, & Vlahov, 1996;Logan & Leukefeld, 2000;Rasch et al, 2000;Roy et al, 2003;Semaan et al, 1998;Tortu et al, 2000), we did find that younger age and cocaine use were associated with higher sexual risk behaviors, suggesting the need to target intervention efforts to these groups in particular. Notably, our findings demonstrated lower rates of HIV-related drug use risk among Blacks; these findings are surprising as previous study indicates higher injection drug use rates (Turner, Miller, & Moses, 1989) and related HIV risk (Kottiri, Friedman, Neaigus, Curtis, & Des Jarlais, 2002;CDC, 2002) among Blacks as compared with Whites.…”

Impact of drug treatment on subsequent sexual risk behavior in a multisite cohort of drug-using women

“…doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2005.08.008 injection drug-using sexual partners who are at higher risk of having HIV (National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, 2002b). Although studies have shown that HIV risk related to drug use behavior has declined among people who use a variety of drugs, whether in or out of drug treatment settings, sexual behavior in this population remains an important source of HIV risk (Battjes, Pickens, & Brown, 1995;Semaan et al, 1998;Strathdee & Sherman, 2003).…”

Assessing risk behaviors and prevalence of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections among female crack cocaine users in salvador - Bahia, Brazil

“…Numerous studies have demonstrated an association between crack cocaine use and high rates of infection with HIV and other STIs, especially among injecting drug users who are exposed to both parenteral and sexual risks [8,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Other studies have shown that female crack cocaine users engage in risky sexual behaviors that increase the risk of contracting STIs (e.g.…”