HIV risks and risk reduction readiness in hard-to-reach, drug-using African American and Mexican American women: an exploratory study
Turner, N.H.; Solomon, D.J.
AIDS education and prevention official publication of the International Society for AIDS Education 8(3): 236-246
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0899-9546 PMID: 8806952 Document Number: 459279
In an exploratory study of the HIV risk-taking behaviors and risk reduction readiness of a sample of 74 hard-to-reach, out-of-treatment African American and Mexican American drug-using women who are at high risk for HIV infection, Mexican American women were found to be more likely than African American women to have drug-using sexual partners and to use drugs daily. Cocaine was the drug most commonly used by both groups. Heroin injectors were more likely than nonheroin injectors to use daily and to share needles. Women of both ethnicities expressed considerable readiness for HIV risk reduction. We describe two empirically derived interventions to reduce HIV risks among this population and share our observations regarding collecting data from and intervening with hard-to-reach, drug-using minority women who are at high risk for HIV infection.