Met and unmet need for dental services among active drug users in Miami, Florida.

This study considers both met and unmet need for dental services among chronic drug users in Miami, Florida, and compares them with non-drug users recruited from the same neighborhoods (N = 1,479). Three primary findings emerged: (1) dental problems are among the most frequently reported health problems, (2) drug use is independently associated with need for dental services, and (3) injection drug use is independently associated with increased odds of unmet need for dental services. These findings suggest that policies that increase access to dental services for drug users and other disadvantaged groups are needed.

Use of a public sexually transmitted disease clinic by known HIV-positive adults: decreased self-reported risk behavior and increased disease incidence.

High-risk sexual behavior by HIV-positive individuals is an important factor contributing to the spread of the HIV epidemic. We conducted a retrospective chart review to compare self-reported sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk behavior and clinic diagnoses of known HIV-positive clients attending Miami-Dade County STD clinics with those of uninfected controls. One hundred ninety-one HIV-positive clients and 191 HIV-negative controls, 130 (68.