In the US, the number of women drug users diagnosed with AIDS continues to increase, thus emphasizing the need for prevention efforts tailored more specifically to their needs. Given the social nature of HIV transmission and the powerful effect of situational context on behavior, more attention must be given to: 1) understanding how social contextual factors affect the risk of HIV infection; 2) determining how social contextual factors and individual attributes may interact to affect HIV risk behaviors; and 3) determining the relationship of situation specific variables to HIV risk. Using a cross-sectional design in this 3-year project, a sample of 720 women (primarily African-American and Puerto Rican) will be recruited from the streets of East Harlem. Criteria include being over the age of 18 years, and reporting use of crack/ cocaine/ injected drugs/ non-injected heroin within the prior 30 days. Women will complete a structured interview to measure social contextual factors (social and risk networks, peer norms, conflict with partners. etc.); individual attributes (race/ ethnicity, HIV serostatus, etc.); and situation specific variables in """"""""risk"""""""" and """"""""no risk"""""""" sex and injection events. Multivariate statistical techniques will be used to determine the effect of social context, individual attributes, and their interaction on HIV risk behaviors. Analyses will also determine the situational factors that are most and lease prevalent in """"""""risk"""""""" and """"""""no risk"""""""" sex and injection events, and determine which situational factors are significantly associated with HIV risk. Informed by information gained in this study, an advisory group will be convened to develop recommendations for risk reduction strategies for women drug users.
| McMahon, James M; Tortu, Stephanie; Pouget, Enrique R et al. (2006) Contextual determinants of condom use among female sex exchangers in East Harlem, NYC: an event analysis. AIDS Behav 10:731-41 |
| Tortu, Stephanie; McMahon, James M; Pouget, Enrique R et al. (2004) Sharing of noninjection drug-use implements as a risk factor for hepatitis C. Subst Use Misuse 39:211-24 |
| Tortu, Stephanie; McMahon, James M; Hamid, Rahul et al. (2003) Women's drug injection practices in East Harlem: an event analysis in a high-risk community. AIDS Behav 7:317-28 |
| Tortu, S; Neaigus, A; McMahon, J et al. (2001) Hepatitis C among noninjecting drug users: a report. Subst Use Misuse 36:523-34 |
