Temporal trends in HIV risk behaviors of out-of-treatment injection drug users and injection drug users who smoke crack.

This study compared the baseline sociodemographic characteristics and HIV risk behaviors of two groups of out-of-treatment injection drug users (IDUs): 366 who concurrently smoked crack (smoking IDUs) and 212 who did not smoke crack (IDUs) in the past 30 days. Temporal trends in recent risk behaviors were also assessed for each drug user group over an 18-month period, January 1992 through June 1994. Baseline data were collected in South Philadelphia before the implementation of a multisite HIV intervention research project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Theoretical models used to guide NIDA's cooperative agreement research and intervention efforts. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

NIDA's Cooperative Agreement program to reach out-of-treatment drug users and provide HIV prevention to reduce HIV drug and sexual risks was initiated in September of 1990. By August, 1994 the program included 23 sites which used various theoretical models to guide prevention strategies, add conceptual coherence to many aspects of behavior change, and allow for clearer interpretation of why behavior change occurs. This article reviews the theoretical models used at each of the NIDA Cooperative Agreement sites, the perceived helpfulness of the models, and recommendations for future initiatives.

Correlates of HIV seropositivity and HIV testing among out-of-treatment drug users.

This study: 1) examined the rate and correlates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity; and 2) assessed whether self-selection in HIV testing influenced the rate and correlates of HIV seropositivity in a group of out-of-treatment drug users. Data were collected from 856 out-of-treatment drug users in Philadelphia between January 1993 and August 1994. Seventy-four percent of the sample elected to take an HIV test that was included in the project in which the drug users were enrolled, and of these, 11% were HIV positive.

Effectiveness of an HIV risk reduction counseling intervention for out-of-treatment drug users.

This study examined and compared the effectiveness of two counseling interventions designed to reduce the HIV drug and sexual risk behaviors of 684 out-of-treatment drug users recruited from South Philadelphia, PA. All study participants received a standard intervention and one half were randomly assigned to also receive the enhanced intervention. The standard intervention provided HIV risk reduction education, HIV testing with pretest and posttest counseling, and training in condom use and needle cleaning.

Crack users in east Harlem, New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: HIV-related risk behaviors and predictors of serostatus.

Crack use has been associated with increased risk for HIV seropositivity. This study was undertaken to examine HIV-related risk behaviors among crack users in East Harlem, New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, two northeastern communities which have reported extensive crack use. Crack users recruited in East Harlem (n = 1434) and Philadelphia (n = 694) were compared on demographics, drug and sex-related risk behaviors, health-related behaviors, and HIV serostatus.