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Abstract
Objective: To determine if significant differences exist in substance use among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) before and after establishing their HIV infection status.
Method: The study participants are HIV positive clients of a community based HIV/AIDS outreach facility located in Montgomery, Alabama. The questionnaire includes demographics, substance use and risky sexual behaviors pertaining to HIV transmission. Each participant completed an anonymous questionnaire. A total of 341 questionnaires were distributed and 326 were fully completed and returned, representing a response rate of 96%.
Results: Findings revealed a statistically significant difference in alcohol consumption before sex among PLWHA before and after establishing their HIV infection status (p = .001). No significant differences were observed among participants who reported as having used drugs intravenously (p = .89), and among those sharing the same syringe/needle with another person (p = .87) before and after establishing their HIV infection status.
Conclusion: There is continued substance use and alcohol consumption before sex among PLWHA after establishing their HIV status despite clear evidence of such risky behaviors that could lead to an increase in exposure to HIV.
Acknowledgment
This work is supported by a Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Award, 2G12RR03059-16, from the National Center for Research Resources, and Export Project Award from the National Center for Minority Health and Disparities, National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.