Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116392

Sherry Deren, PhD¹, Shiela M. Strauss, PhD², Sung-Yeon Kang, PhD¹, Hector M. Colon, PhD³, and Rafaela Robles, EdD⁴. (1) Center for Drug Use & HIV Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23 Street, 8 Floor, New York, NY 10010, 212-845-4463, Deren@NDRI.org, (2) National Development and Research Institutes, Inc, 71 West 23rd Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010, (3) Center for Addiction Studies, Universidad Central del Caribe, PO Box 60327, Bayamon, PR 00960-6032, (4) Center for Addiction Studies, School of Medicine, Universidad Central del Caribe, PO Box 60327, Bayamon, PR 00960-6032

Background: While some success in reducing drug-related risk behaviors among high-risk drug users has been achieved, impacting on sex risk behaviors has remained an important challenge, and sexual transmission of HIV has become more salient in the HIV epidemic among drug users. A longitudinal study of high-risk drug users provided the opportunity to examine predictors of unprotected sex over time. Methods: Data were collected on 746 sexually active Puerto Rican drug injectors and crack smokers in New York and Puerto Rico. Baseline, 6, 36 and 42-month follow-up interviews were conducted. Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), an analytic tool which maximizes the use of longitudinal data, baseline predictors of the proportion of unprotected sex for short-term (6 month) and long-term (42 month) follow-up periods were examined. Results: The sample was 71% male, average age was 36. Significant baseline predictors of a higher percent of unprotected sex at long-term follow-up included: being HIV-negative (t=7.5), having never exchanged sex for drugs or money (t=4.2), lower self efficacy for reduced sex risks (t=7.8), a greater number of primary sex partners (t=6.7), and lower condom use in the last 30 days at baseline (t=4.7) (all p<.001). Predictors for the 6 month follow-up periods were similar and of similar magnitude. Conclusions: Addressing self-efficacy for reducing sex risk behaviors among drug users can help reduce unprotected sex, for both short and longer-term periods. The increasing salience of sex risk in HIV transmission among drug users underlines the importance of increasing condom use, especially with primary sex partners.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Articulate the importance of reducing sex risk behaviors among drug users 2.Identify predictors of sex risk behaviors among drug users
• Discuss interventions that could reduce sex risk behaviors

Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, Drug Injectors

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.