Drug use and correlates among sexually transmitted disease patients, emergency room patients, and arrestees

This paper reports the results of a study on the use of illicit drugs and related problems in groups that are often considered hidden populations at high risk for drug abuse. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in 1992-94 with 5,168 subjects from sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics, hospital emergency rooms (ER), and jails in Los Angeles County, California. Extensive drug involvement and other HIV-risk behaviors were reported by all three samples. Excluding marijuana, crack and cocaine were the most prevalent drugs used; the rate of positive cocaine urinalysis was 8.5% for STD subjects, 18.1% for ER subjects, and 52.8% for the arrestees. About 40% of the subjects from both STDs and jails and 27% from ERs reported three or more sex partners in the past year. About 41% of STD and 49% of ER samples also reported having arrest records. Current use of heroin and cocaine was highly associated with multiple sex partners and an arrest record. The study confirmed the high prevalence of drug abuse and other high-risk behaviors in these samples. The importance of targeting these groups for early identification and intervention is underscored.