Aim: To examine injection- and sex-related risk behaviors among Puerto Rican drug injectors by gender, separately for those who were aware of being HIV positive and those who believed they were seronegative or were unaware of their serostatus. Methods: The subjects (N=874: 561 in New York; 313 in Puerto Rico) were recruited from January 1998 to August 1999 in the two sites by street outreach workers. Chi-square and t-tests were used in bivariate analyses. Multiple logistic regression was also used to examine the factors related to risk behaviors (i.e., sharing injection equipment and failure to use condoms). Results: Of the subjects, 81% were males; mean age was 37; mean years of injection was 16; and 19% self-reported that they were previously told that they had been infected with HIV. Significant gender differences existed in risk injection and sexual risk behaviors in bivariate analyses, but the differences were not significant in multivariate analyses. An interaction effect between gender and HIV+ awareness was found for unsafe sexual practices (B=-0.6; SE=0.2; p<0.01). For example, non-infected men and women, as compared to infected men, reported significantly higher rates of unsafe sexual practices. Other factors, e.g., self-efficacy for risk behaviors, shooting gallery use, and recruitment sites, were also significantly related to risk behaviors. Conclusions: Unsafe injection and sexual practices, particularly among non-infected men and women injectors, indicate a need for continued efforts to prevent these groups from becoming HIV infected. Components of prevention programs should include enhancing self-efficacy for reducing risk behaviors.
Learning Objectives: The participants will be able to: 1. describe gender differences in HIV-related risk behaviors; 2. identify factors related to HIV-related risk behaviors; and 3. develop a prevention program to include important findings
Keywords: Drug Injectors, HIV Risk Behavior
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.