The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #61624

Sung-Yeon Kang, PhD¹, Sherry Deren, PhD¹, Jonny Andia, PhD¹, Héctor M. Colón, PhD², and Rafaela R. Robles, EdD². (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, School of Medicine, Universidad Central del Caribe, PO Box 60327, Bayamón, PR 00960-6032

Objectives: To examine the extent of HIV risk behavior in jail/prison and its relationship with later injection drug use among Puerto Rican drug injectors (IDUs) in New York and Puerto Rico. Methods: Puerto Rican IDUs in New York (N=280) and Puerto Rico (N=192) were reinterviewed in 2002 at 36 months (T2) after the initial interview (T1). Information on their incarceration experiences during the 36 months, including HIV-related risk behaviors, was collected. Results: 76% male, average age 38 (NY); 87% male, average age 33 (PR). Thirty-eight percent of NY sample injected drugs (last 30 days), while approximately two-thirds (70%) of PR injected at T2. During the 36 months prior to T2, 68% of NY and 42% of PR were incarcerated at least once (p<.001). Of those who were incarcerated (N=190, NY; N=81, PR), 5% of NY and 4% of PR engaged in sex (p=ns), and 5% of NY and 54% of PR injected drugs (p<.001) inside jail/prison. During the incarceration, 38% of NY and 1% of PR participated in a drug treatment program (excluded detox). In multivariate analysis, drug injection inside jail/prison was significantly related to drug injection at T2, after adjusting for drug treatment program enrollment in jail/prison and recruitment site (AOR=2.4; CI=1.1, 5.3, p<.05). Conclusions: The findings indicate a need for effective drug treatment programs inside jail/prisons, especially in PR, to reduce HIV-related risk behaviors among drug injectors, during incarceration and after release.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the extent of HIV risk behaviors inside jail/prison among Puerto Rican drug injectors in New York and Puerto Rico.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of drug treatment/HIV prevention programs in jail/prison.
• Develop effective drug treatment programs inside jail/prison.

Keywords: Risk Behavior, Inmates

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.