Social and economic factors associated with recent and lifetime incarceration among Puerto Rican drug users.

Using a sample of 280 Puerto Rican drug users with a history of incarceration residing in Massachusetts, we explore whether a significant association exists between social and economic factors (maintaining social network contacts, receiving public assistance) and lifetime incarceration. Analysis of survey data using regression methods shows that respondents who live in their own home, receive public assistance, and have recent familial contact are significantly less likely to have been incarcerated in the past 6 months. Among study participants, men and those who initiated heroin use at younger ages are more likely to have greater lifetime incarceration totals.

The association between acculturation and needle sharing among Puerto Rican injection drug users.

Background: Base-line data from a community-based HIV outreach effort serving Puerto Rican injection drug users (IDUs) in Massachusetts identified that approximately half of their clients were born on the mainland and half on the island.

Methods: Logistic regression methods examined the relationship between place of birth, primary language spoken, primary residence of family and needle sharing for a sample of 200 Puerto Rican IDUs residing in Massachusetts. Focus groups were used to interpret quantitative findings.

Factors associated with emergency room use among injection drug users of African-American, Hispanic and White-European background.

This study examined the relationship between substance abuse treatment use, health services use, HIV status, and emergency room/hospital use for 507 injection drug users (IDUs). Logistic regression models showed that mental health status, severity of drug use and private health insurance were significantly associated with having used emergency room/hospital services in the past six months. History of substance abuse treatment use, positive HIV/AIDS diagnosis, mental health service use, ethnic/racial background, gender, age, education and homelessness were not significant at either the bivariate or the multivariate level.

Preclinical and clinical performance of the Efoora test, a rapid test for detection of human immunodeficiency virus-specific antibodies.

Barriers to effective diagnostic testing for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection can be reduced with simple, reliable, and rapid detection methods. Our objective was to determine the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of a new rapid, lateral-flow immunochromatographic HIV-1 antibody detection device. Preclinical studies were performed using seroconversion, cross-reaction, and interference panels, archived clinical specimens, and fresh whole blood.