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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Abdin Noboa-Rios, PhD and Tula Michaelides, MPH. Research and Evaluation Department, IQ Solutions, Inc., 11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 801, Rockville, MD 20852, 301-984-1471, anoboa@iqsolutions.com
The intertwined epidemics of HIV/AIDS and substance use are one of the most vexing social and health issues of the 20th and now the 21st century. This presentation will review research related to three general topics: the link between HIV and different kinds of substance use (e.g., intravenous drug use and non-intravenous drug use); effective HIV prevention interventions as related to substance use; and effective HIV prevention interventions as related to three specific subpopulations -- ethnic/racial minority groups, adolescents/youth, and women. Based on this review, we also discuss some next steps and recommendations for how to develop materials and messages on HIV prevention as related to substance use. Our findings suggest that, even though the data do not support a causal link between non-injection drug use and HIV, the association is strong enough to warrant the development of customized materials and messages on the link between substance use and HIV. At the very least, substance abuse should be a component of every HIV prevention endeavor. Finally, because the twin epidemics of substance use and HIV hit certain subpopulations harder than others, we recommend (and the literature supports) that customized messages be devised these subpopulations, such as racial and ethnic minorities, women, adolescents, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population.
Learning Objectives:
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.