The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

4089.0: Tuesday, November 12, 2002 - Board 1

Abstract #44397

Mobility of Puerto Rican drug users in New York and Puerto Rico and its relationship to HIV risk behaviors

Sherry Deren, PhD1, Sung-Yeon Kang, 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, 212-845-4463, Deren@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 the mobility patterns between New York and Puerto Rico and their relationship to HIV risk behaviors among drug users.Methods: Puerto Rican injection drug users (IDUs) and crack smokers (CSs) recruited in East Harlem, NY (n=204) and Bayamon, PR (n=137) were asked about lifetime residential history, trips (during prior 3 years) and HIV-related risk behaviors (during prior 30 days). NY sample: 67% male, average age 41; PR sample: 78% male, average age 37. Results: In NY sample, 47% were born in PR, an additional 14% had resided there. In PR sample, 12% were born in the US, an additional 27% had lived there (primarily NY). During the prior 3 years, 12% of the NY sample visited PR; 31% traveled out of NYC. For the PR sample, 2% had visited NY; 8% traveled out of PR. Among IDUs in NY(n=79), 33% shared injection equipment, with more sharing among those who traveled outside NYC (50% vs 26%, p<.05). For total NY sample, 32% reported unprotected sex, no significant difference by mobility status. Among IDUs in PR (n=88), 60% shared injection equipment, with a trend (p<.10) for more sharing among those who lived or visited outside PR (71% vs 52%, 88% vs 57%, respectively). For total PR sample, 28% reported unprotected sex, higher for those who had resided outside PR (40% vs 20%, p<.01). Conclusions: Mobile drug users engaged in higher risk behaviors, indicating the need for HIV prevention efforts targeting mobile populations.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Drug Injectors, Hispanic

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.

Special Populations and Substance Abuse Poster Session II

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA