Abstract
Interventions targeting high-risk drug users have found reductions in HIV risk behaviors over time. It is important to determine whether these changes occur among both HIV+ and HIV− drug users. A total of 225 drug injectors (31% HIV+) and 316 crack users (15% HIV+) were administered a baseline interview, received HIV testing, received test results, and participated in a 6-month follow-up interview. Both HIV+ and HIV− subjects significantly reduced risk behaviors over time, with greater reduction in some behaviors (e.g., percent of injectors sharing drug injection paraphernalia, p < .05) by HIV+ subjects. This finding supports the utility of HIV testing for high-risk drug users. Further research is needed to enhance understanding of risk behaviors and risk reduction among seropositives.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Beardsley, M., Deren, S., Tortu, S., Goldstein, M., Ziek, K., and Hamid, R. (1997). Trends in injection risk behaviors in a sample of New York City injection drug users: 1992–1995. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1997). HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 9, 8.
Chiasson, M. A., Stoneburner, R. L., Hildebrandt, D. S., Ewing, W. E., Telzak, E., and Jaffe, H. (1991). Heterosexual transmission of HIV-1 associated with the use of smokable freebase cocaine (crack). AIDS, 5, 1121–1126.
Colón, H. M., Robles, R. R., Marrero, C. A., Matos, T. D., López, C. M., and Orraca, O. (1996). Reduction in sexual risk behaviors among HIV seropositive drug users in Puerto Rico. Presented at the XI International Conference on AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, July 7–12.
Deren, S. (1996, May). Cooperative agreement to prevent AIDS (CAPA) East Harlem, New York: Preliminary Outcomes. Presented at the Cooperative Agreement for AIDS Community-Based Outreach/Prevention Research Program Steering Committee Meeting, Vienna, VA.
Deren, S., Beardsley, M., Goldstein, M., and Tortu, S. (1996, November). HIV prevention among injection drug users: Predicting who increases, decreases, or stops risk behaviors. Presented at the 124th American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, New York.
Deren, S., Davis, W. R., Beardsley, M., Tortu, S., and Clatts, M. (1995a). Outcomes of a risk reduction intervention with high risk populations: The Harlem AIDS Project. AIDS Education and Prevention, 7, 379–390.
Deren, S., Goldstein, M., Beardsley, M., and Tortu, S. (1995b, August). Predictors of risk behavior change patterns among crack smokers. Presented at the Third Science Symposium HIV Prevention Research: Current Status and Future Directions Symposium, Flagstaff, Arizona, August 16–18.
Des Jarlais, D. C., Perlis, T., Friedman, S. R., Deren, S., Sotheran, J. L., Tortu, S., Beardsley, M., Paone, D., Torian, L. V., Beatrice, S. T., DeBernardo, E., Monterrosso, E., Marmor, M. (in press). Declining seroprevalence in a very larege HIV epidemic: Injecting drug users in New York City, 1991–1996. American Journal of Public Health.
Edlin, B. R., Irwin, K. L., Faruque, S., McCoy, C. B., Word, C., Serrano, Y., Inciardi, J. A., Bowser, B. P., Schilling, R. F., Holmberg, S. D., and The Multicenter Crack Cocaine and HIV Infection Study Team. (1994). Intersecting epidemics—Crack cocaine use and HIV infection among inner-city youth. New England Journal of Medicine, 331, 1422–1427.
Friedman, S. R., Jose, B., Neaigus, A., Goldstein, M., Curtis, R., Ildefonso, G., Mota, P., and Des Jarlais, D. C. (1994). Consistent condom use in relationships between seropositive injecting drug users and sex partners who do not inject drugs. AIDS, 8, 357–361.
Holmberg, S. D. (1996). The estimated prevalence and incidence of HIV in 96 large US metropolitan areas. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 642–654.
McCusker, J. Stoddard, A. M., Zapka, J. G., Morrison, C. S., Zorn, M., and Lewis, B. F. (1992). AIDS education for drug abusers: Evaluation of short-term effectiveness. American Journal of Public Health, 82, 533–540.
Needle, R., Fisher, D. G., Weatherby, N., Chitwood, D., Brown, B. S., Cesari, H., Booth, R., Williams, M. L., Watters, J., Andersen, M., and Braunstein, M. (1995). The reliability of self-reported HIV risk behaviors of drug users. Psychology of Addicted Behaviors, 9, 242–250.
Stephens, R. C., Simpson, D. D., Coyle, S. L., McCoy, C. B., and the National AIDS Research Consortium. (1993). Comparative effectiveness of NADR interventions. In B. S. Brown and G. M. Beschner (Eds.). Handbook on risk of AIDS: Injecting drug users and sexual partners (pp. 519–556). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Tortu, S., Beardsley, M., Deren, S., and Devis, W. R. (1994). The risk of HIV infection in a national sample of women with injection drug-using partners. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 1243–1249.
Weatherby, N. L., Needle, R., Cesari, H., Booth, R., McCoy, C. B., Watters, J. K., Williams, M. L., and Chitwood, D. D. (1994). Validity of self-reported drug use among injection drug users and crack cocaine users recruited through street outreach. Evaluation and Program Planning, 17, 347–355.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Deren, S., Beardsley, M., Tortu, S. et al. HIV Serostatus and Changes in Risk Behaviors Among Drug Injectors and Crack Users. AIDS Behav 2, 171–176 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022103131608
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022103131608