The proposed project will: (1) Develop, implement, and evaluate ongoing AIDS education/outreach strategies for IV-drug users (IVDUs) and their sex partners in the Long Beach and South Bay areas. (2) Collect data documenting the extent of HIV infection, drug- usage pattens, and sexual activities of 1,000 to 1,200 IV-drug users and their sex partners each contract year. The NIDA AIDS Assessment Questionnaire will be employed in conjunction with HIV-antibody testing for all study participants. (3) Identify and address unique ethnic minority and gender considerations as they relate to these goals. Specific populations proposed for assessment/intervention are: heterosexual IVDUs, female sex partners of IVDUs, homosexual/bisexuals IVDUs, and adolescent runaways. An important feature of this project is its emphasis on in-depth ethnographic studies of the IVDU and related populations during both the needs-assessment and implementation phases of the project. In addition, these ethnographic studies will prove extremely valuable in the development of specific educational/motivational programs for each of the identified at- risk populations. Intervention development will also be guided by perceptual/attitudinal mediators of successful behavior change. Interventions will be delivered by specially trained outreach workers, who will operate out of a mobile unit and a store-front facility located in an area with a high incidence of IV-drug use. Educational/outreach activities will include: (1) training/support groups for female sex partners of IVDUs; (2) rap center, counseling, and referral for adolescent runaways; (3) one-on-one AIDS-risk-reduction counseling and antibody testing; and (4) street distribution of AIDS information and risk-reduction materials, e.g., referral cards, bleach bottles, condoms, etc. Program effectiveness will be assessed through followup interviews and repeat HIV-antibody testing. Special pre-post evaluations will be conducted of the enhanced programs for individual subpopulations.
| Rotheram-Borus, Mary Jane; Rhodes, Fen; Desmond, Katherine et al. (2010) Reducing HIV risks among active injection drug and crack users: the safety counts program. AIDS Behav 14:658-68 |
| Rhodes, F; Wolitski, R J; Thornton-Johnson, S (1992) An experiential program to reduce AIDS risk among female sex partners of injection-drug users. Health Soc Work 17:261-72 |
| Corby, N H; Wolitski, R J; Thornton-Johnson, S et al. (1991) AIDS knowledge, perception of risk, and behaviors among female sex partners of injection drug users. AIDS Educ Prev 3:353-66 |
