This research proposes a prospective random assignment comparative trail of intensive structured counseling and a usual public health intervention, a pamphlet, to reduce the risk of AIDS among intravenous drug users (IVDU), as measured by: intention to use sterile equipment, report of reduced high risk intravenous drug practices and actual sero conversion to HIV positive. The population to be studied will be recent intravenous drug user identified from among the 40,000 cases of the Maryland State Division of Probation and Parole who reside in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Identified IVDU will be determined to be sero negative at the beginning of the study. This population includes individuals in and out of drug abuse treatment and therefore represents a larger segment of IV drug users than has heretofore been available for study. The study panel will be examined at six month intervals for sero conversion. Quantification of IV drug use practices will allow study of epidemiologic risk factors for the conversion to HIV seropositive status and, the clinical conditions, AIDS and ARC. Information obtained about IVDU characteristics such as addiction severity and lifestyle will allow modeling of conditions under which counseling is more effective.
| Mandell, W; Vlahov, D; Latkin, C et al. (1994) Correlates of needle sharing among injection drug users. Am J Public Health 84:920-3 |
