Gender Differences among Prisoners with Pre-Incarceration Heroin Dependence Participating in a Randomized Clinical Trial of Buprenorphine Treatment

Abstract

The primary focus of the current study is to examine whether gender and other baseline characteristics were significantly associated with more severe patterns of drug use. It involves data from 260 male and female prerelease prison inmates with preincarceration heroin dependence who enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of prison-initiated buprenorphine. Three outcomes are examined: (a) lifetime intravenous drug use, (b) lifetime number of drugs used, and (c) heroin use in prison. Regarding lifetime intravenous drug use; race (p <.001), education (p <.009), age (p <.001), and psychological treatment (p = .028) were significant. Concerning lifetime number of drugs used; race (p <.001) and age of first crime (p = .001) were significant. Finally, gender (p = .004), was the only significant variable in terms of using heroin while in prison. All of these differences may have important clinical, treatment, and research implications, which are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• gender differences
• heroin
• prison

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse entitled, Buprenorphine for Prisoners (PI: Kinlock; R01 021579). We would like to thank the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) for their collaboration and support.

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Notes

^a Past 30 days.

^b Lifetime.

^a Overall model: χ² = 54.66; df = 6; p = .0001.

^b Overall model: χ² = 24.19; df = 6; p = .0001.

^a Overall model: F = 13.081; df = 6, 247; p = .0001.