In developing HIV prevention efforts, it is critical to determine whether interventions are effective in achieving declines in risk behavior among both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals. Based on a multisite intervention study of injection drug users (IDUs) and crack smokers, 488 seropositive IDUs and 364 seropositive crack users were compared with randomly selected matched samples of seronegatives (with matching based on recruitment site, gender, age group and ethnicity) at baseline and six-month follow-up to compare changes in risk behaviors by serostatus. Results indicated that overall, risk behaviors declined substantially over time; significant interaction effects indicated that seropositives reported a greater decline in sex risk behaviors than seronegatives. These data support the utility of HIV testing for high-risk drug users, and indicate that interventions have produced reductions in risk behaviors of both seropositives and seronegatives. Further research on the impact of site seroprevalence, and to enhance our understanding of those who continue to engage in risky behaviors, is needed.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cessation of drug use: impact of time in treatment.

Many studies have found that the longer a drug user remains in treatment, the more positive the outcome. The majority of studies on the effects of time in treatment have followed subjects from the time they enter treatment. The subjects of the present study are injection drug users and crack users who were out of treatment at the time of their recruitment to the study. Between the initial and six-month follow-up interviews, some chose to enroll in drug treatment. The more time a subject spent in treatment during the follow-up period, the more likely it was that s/he was not using heroin or cocaine at follow-up (OR=.51; 95% C.I., .39-.67; p<.001). Unlike the results of some prior studies, positive effects of time in treatment were found even when time in treatment was less than 90 days. The findings of the present study strongly suggest that treatment is beneficial even for those who remain for less than 90 days. Those who provide treatment services to drug users should attempt to maintain contact with dropouts, and support their return to treatment.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The impact of providing incentives for attendance at AIDS prevention sessions.

The research literature on AIDS prevention efforts contains many reports on the impact of intervention sessions. Little information is available, however, on the success of various strategies to recruit clients to attend these sessions. An assessment of the comparative impact of money and other types of incentives on group attendance in two AIDS risk reduction projects, in the Harlem area of New York City and in Cleveland, OH, was undertaken. In both projects, injecting drug users and the sex partners of injecting drug users were recruited to participate in group sessions that focused on the reduction of AIDS risk behaviors. Data on group attendance were analyzed for 838 people in the New York project and 1,168 in the Ohio project. After the projects were underway, attendance incentives at both were changed from money to food coupons or gift certificates. Results indicated that a nonmonetary incentive was associated with a significant decline in group attendance. Concerns regarding paying monetary incentives to injecting drug users are discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗