LONGITUDINAL SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR CHANGES IN INJECTING DRUG-USERS

Objective: To determine whether injection drug users (IDU) maintained sexual behavior risk reduction over an 18-month period that had been noted previously over a 4-month period. Design: A repeated measures design was utilized with IDU assessed initally at study enrollment and again 18 months later. Methods: Sexual behaviors of a group of 220 IDU (148 men and 72 women) were assessed by a structured interview at the start of an AIDS prevention project and again 18 months later. Results: Having multiple sex partners during the 12 months before initial assessment was reported by 42.6% of the men and 35.7% of the women. Significantly fewer had multiple sex partners during the 10 months before follow-up assessment (men, 20.9%; women, 14.30%). Condom use for vaginal intercourse increased from a mean of 11.9% initially to 27.8% at follow-up for men. The increase in condom use was greater for those with multiple sex partners. Women did not report significant increases in condom use. Continued involvement in unsafe sexual behaviors was associated with exchanging sex for money or drugs, using drugs to help meet sexual needs, alcohol use and drug use. Conclusions: Risk reductions noted previously were maintained over 18 months for the majority of the sample. Drug-use treatment and interventions that closely examine the interplay between drug use and sexuality for individual IDU are recommended as strategies to further reduce the sexual risk of HIV transmission among IDU.