NCJ Number
164644
Date Published
1991
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Data on the HIV status of different populations of drug abusers are presented to demonstrate the importance of considering both in-treatment and out-of-treatment populations in surveillance efforts and natural history studies.
Abstract
The research compared three categories of treatment experience in the 5 years prior to the interview: (1) no drug treatment enrollment, (2) drug treatment enrollment for a total of less than 12 months, and (3) drug treatment enrollment for a total of 12 months or more. These three groups were compared with respect to demographic characteristics, HIV antibody status, and self-reports of involvement in risk behaviors associated with HIV infection. Results revealed that blacks were less likely than whites to have had drug treatment in the past 5 years. Ninety-five percent of those with less than 12 months of treatment in the past 5 years reported multiple sexual partners in the past 5 years, compared with 78.4 percent of those reporting no treatment and 78.2 percent of those reporting 12 months or more of treatment. Those reporting any drug treatment were more likely than those reporting none to report more frequent injection of drugs in the past year. Just over 30 percent of those never treated reported no needle-sharing partners in the past year, compared with 22.3 percent of the group treated 1 year or less and 16.6 percent of the group treated for more than 12 months. Blacks and whites did not differ in HIV status among those not treated and those treated for more than 12 months. However, more blacks than whites were seropositive among those treated for 12 months or less. Findings indicated the need to include drug treatment history and untreated drug users in studies of HIV infection and associated risk factors. Tables, figure, and 14 references