Community Approach to AIDS Intervention: Exploring the Miami Outreach Project for Injecting Drug Users and Other High Risk Groups

• NCJ Number: 134571
• Author(s): D D Chitwood; J A Inciardi; D C McBride; C B McCoy; H V McCoy; E Trapido
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 247 pages
• Sale Source: Greenwood Publishing Group
• Publication Type: Program Description (Demonstrative)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Contributions in Medical Studies, Number 33

Annotation

The work of the South Florida AIDS Research Consortium in attempting to reduce the spread of HIV infection and AIDS among injecting drug users is examined.

Abstract

Intravenous drug users (IV-drug users), in addition to being the second highest risk group for HIV and AIDS, also present a population that appears difficult to impact with routine AIDS prevention messages. The Miami community AIDS prevention/intervention project targeted the particular problems of the uninstitutionalized street IV-drug users. The group was predominantly black and male. The median age of the group was 35 years, and the median duration of drug injection was 14 years. The project aimed to decrease HIV-related risk behaviors, especially the frequency of needle use, needle-sharing, high-risk sexual practices, the number of sexual partners and to increase safe sex practices and safer injection behaviors through education within a culturally sensitive setting. Detailed information is provided on the AIDS/IV drug connection, the development and implementation of the Miami outreach model, the prevention/education program developed for IV-drug users and their sex partners, and the success of the model. The appendixes focus on the specific intervention approach implemented in Miami as well as on the AIDS prevention initiatives in Belle Glade, a rural community with the one of the highest rates of AIDS in the United States. 23 tables, 18 tables, and numerous references