Abstract
The authors studied psychosocial risk and protective /actors in HIV transmission in a population of intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs), with a focus on needle-sharing. The authors examined high-risk sexual behavior in the same population by looking at factors affecting the individual IVDA's condom use. The volunteer sample was 300 male IVDAs who were patients at AIDS or methadone clinics in a large city hospital. All subjects were individually interviewed regarding condom use for vaginal intercourse, with a structured questionnaire analyzed by means of multiple hierarchical regressions and Pearson correlation coefficients. Parental and peer factors and coping measures were associated with more condom use. The findings supported a mediational model for condom use. Family factors were associated with good coping and with the selection of friends who support condom use. These factors in turn were associated with planning to use and actually using condoms.