Factors associated with HIV/AIDS high-risk behaviours among female injection drug users

Abstract

This study examined factors associated with reporting engaging in HIV/AIDS high-risk behaviours at two different time points spaced one year apart for a sample of 185 women who were active injection drug users (IDUs). The high-risk behaviours included injecting drugs in the past six months, having shared needles in the past six months and having engaged in unprotected sexual activity in the past thirty days. Through logistic regression modelling it was identified that living with a spouse at year one was significantly and positively associated with high-risk behaviours at both time points. Being prescribed medications for psychological or emotional problems as well as testing positive for the HIV/AIDS virus were significantly and negatively associated with reporting high-risk behaviours at both time points. These results suggest that spousal relationships may play an important role in HIV/AIDS high-risk behaviours of women drug users. An implication of this study is the need to focus on how spousal relationships and issues such as gender and empowerment should be incorporated into the design and implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs. The benefits of comprehensive mental health diagnosis and treatment services as well as HIV testing in reducing harm to female IDUs and their partners are also discussed.

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by grants #038634 from the Robert Wood Johnson foundation, Princeton, New Jersey and #KD1 TI12495 from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland, to the principal investigator, Dr. Lena M. Lundgren. Drug treatment data was provided by the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS). The support of Michael Botticelli and Theresa Anderson of BSAS is gratefully acknowledged. Finally, we would like to thank Tapestry Health Systems staff Timothy Purington, Elpidio Adorno, Aisha Dawoud, Theresa Boeding, John Ribadeneyra and Donna Wilkins-Carmody and, at Cambridge Cares About AIDS, Monique Tula and Ozzie Carnan for their invaluable work on these projects.

Notes

1. On the other hand, living with a sexual partner of the same or opposite sex was not significantly associated with being in the high-risk group. Also explored in the bivariate analysis was whether living with either a spouse or a sexual partner was significantly associated with being in the high-risk group. However, this cumulative variable was not significant at the bivariate level.