In order to deal with the increasingly large problem of IV drug use and AIDS in Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico's Department of Anti Addiction Services, the San Juan City Department of Health, and researchers from the University of Puerto Rico have entered into a strong coalition for this community based AIDS prevention/intervention outreach proposal. The major goal of this Puerto Rico AIDS Program (PRAP) is to develop and evaluate and extensive demonstration project which has been designed to measure and reduce risk behavior of intravenous drug users (IVDU) and sexual partners relative to development of HIV and HIV related diseases. Unique to this program is the ability to utilize and augment an already comprehensive array of drug and health services, and research capabilities. Resource planning and development will be accomplished by the creation of community specialists, termed """"""""Community AIDS Prevention Promoters"""""""". Participating in PRAP will be more than 2100 IVDUs or their sexual partners. Recruitment from the two highest IVDU prevalent municipalities (on the island), San Juan and Catano, will be based upon a needs assessment to determine the specific subpopulations and subareas. Clients will be tested for HIV seropositivity, and assessed for information related to drug use, sexual practices, and other information important for follow-up and treatment. All subjects will be randomized into two levels of the PRAP; one being """"""""standard"""""""" and the other """"""""enhanced"""""""". The standard intevention provides usual CDC and NIDA specified information and materials about AIDS transmission, and referral to existing community programs. The enhanced intervention involves clients in multiple sessions of individualized counseling. In addition, booster sessions are provided at specified durations. All seronegative clients will be followed for seroconversion, and all clients will be followed for changes in """"""""risky"""""""" drug and sexual behaviors, as part of the outcome evaluation. Other evaluations will be delineate the reasons and components by which the program was effective.
| Colon, H M; Sahai, H; Robles, R R et al. (1995) Effects of a community outreach program in HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users in San Juan, Puerto Rico: an analysis of trends. AIDS Educ Prev 7:195-209 |
| Robles, R R; Colon, H M; Sahai, H et al. (1992) Behavioral risk factors and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence among intravenous drug users in Puerto Rico. Am J Epidemiol 135:531-40 |
| Colon, H M; Robles, R; Sahai, H (1991) HIV risk and prior drug treatment among Puerto Rican intravenous drug users. P R Health Sci J 10:83-8 |
| Robles, R R; Colon, H M; Matos, T D et al. (1990) AIDS risk behavior patterns among intravenous drug users in Puerto Rico and the United States. Bol Asoc Med P R 82:523-7 |
