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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Adi Jaffe, MA¹, Judith Stein, PhD¹, and Steve Shoptaw, PhD². (1) Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 951563, 1285 FH, 405 Hillgard Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, 310-488-3978, adijaffe@hotmail.com, (2) Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10880 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90024

The relationship between methamphetamine use and sexual risk has been well demonstrated in the literature. The resulting risk for STI contraction, including HIV, has made sexual risk an important target of methamphetamine treatment in some contexts, and an emerging one in many others. The present research examines data from 155 gay and bisexual methamphetamine users in treatment in order to assess the relationship between methamphetamine use trajectory (i.e., rate of change), changes in mood (i.e., depression as measured by the BDI), and participation in sexually risky behavior. A latent growth model was constructed and assessed. Overall fit was good (CFI = .996). A significant relationship was found between rates of change in methamphetamine use and rates of change in sexual risk, indicating that participants for whom the intervention was more effective in reducing methamphetamine use were also more likely to reduce sexually risky behavior. This relationship was found to depend on depression scores, as participants who were more depressed showed markedly slower reductions in sexual risk. These findings were also found to depend on the treatment condition participants were assigned to, with the control group showing the highest rates of sexual risk as well as of amphetamine use. Implications for treatment indicate that participants high on depression may need more direct targeting of sexual risk education and interventions as part of their drug treatment program.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant should be able to

• Assess the sexual risk component of methamphetamine abuse.
• Discuss said risk in the context of treatment.
• Understand the relationship between depression, methamphetamine use, and risky sexual behavior.

Keywords: Sexual Risk Behavior, Managed Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered