NCJ Number
139690
Journal
International Journal of the Addictions Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: (1991) Pages: 457-466
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This comparison of the intravenous drug-abuse behaviors of young adults ages 18-25 and adults over age 40 concludes that HIV prevention should be tailored in response to the age differences of the targeted drug users.
Abstract
The participants were recruited from drug abusers in three ethnically distinct Houston sites using a modified ethnographic reconnaissance model. The participants were engaged in conversations about the risks of AIDS due to needle-use practices and sexual behaviors, given printed materials, and asked to take part in an in-depth educational and research encounter. Those who agreed to take part in the study were individually interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. The 54 closed-ended questions covered eight areas: demographic information, drug treatment information, drug use, needle use, sexual behavior, and health and AIDS related information. The interviews lasted 45 minutes, and respondents were paid $10 for a completed interview. Results revealed significant differences between the young and older adults in the drugs injected and the rates of injecting heroin. Therefore, intravenous drug users cannot be targeted as a group in AIDS prevention efforts.