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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Sung-Yeon Kang, PhD1, Sherry Deren, PhD1, Jonny Andia, PhD1, Hector M. Colon, PhD2, and Rafaela Robles, EdD3. (1) National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010, 212-845-4457, Kang@NDRI.org, (2) Center for Addiction Studies, Universidad Central del Caribe, PO Box 60327, Bayamon, PR 00960-6032, (3) Center for Addiction Studies, School of Medicine, Universidad Central del Caribe, PO Box 60327, Bayamon, PR 00960-6032
Objectives: To examine egocentric risk-potential networks among Puerto Rican drug injectors (IDUs) or crack users (CUs) and their relationship to sex risk behavior (SRB) over time. Methods: The participants (N=617 in New York; N=335 in Puerto Rico) provided information on up to 9 people whom they injected with, used crack with, and had sex with (3 each) during 30 days before baseline interview. SRB was measured by unprotected sexual acts (no/yes, last 30 days). Multiple logistic regression analysis examined the relationships between baseline risk network and SRB at 6-month follow-up after controlling for the effects of other variables (gender, age, recruitment site, HIV serostatus, sex trading, and unprotected sex at baseline). Results: Male 73%, mean age 37. About one-sixth (16%) of the sample reported no risk network members, 22% named IDUs or CUs only (14% and 8%, respectively), 17% named sex members only, 21% reported multiple risk behaviors with the same partner, and the remaining 24% reported multiple risk behaviors with different partners. The risk network differed by gender (p<.001). Males were more likely to name IDU members only (19% vs 3%) while females were more likely to engage in risk behaviors with the same people (33% vs 16%). Among sexually active participants at follow-up (N=520), those who did not name any sex network members were more likely than those who did to have unprotected sex [OR=2.4; CI=1.4, 3.9]). Conclusion: HIV prevention efforts targeting sex risk behaviors by drug users should include those who may not identify sex network members
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: , Sexual Risk Behavior
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.