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The Context of HIV Risk Among Drug Users and Their Sexual Partners

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symptomatic distress, depression, <strong>and</strong> anxiety among the 59 female<br />

IVDUs were reported.<br />

In an analysis <strong>of</strong> data from the Australian National AIDS <strong>and</strong> Injecting<br />

<strong>Drug</strong> User Study, Darke <strong>and</strong> colleagues (1992) examined the context <strong>of</strong><br />

benzodiazepine use among IVDUs <strong>and</strong> its impact on <strong>HIV</strong> transmission<br />

risk behaviors. <strong>The</strong> study was conducted in Australia, but the research<br />

questions investigated have implications for female IDUs in the United<br />

States. Two questions are particularly relevant: “What is the prevalence<br />

<strong>of</strong> benzodiazepine use in this population?” <strong>and</strong> “Does use <strong>of</strong> this drug<br />

cause this population to engage in more risky injecting <strong>and</strong> sexual<br />

behavior?”<br />

Out <strong>of</strong> the 1,245 IVDUs, 331 were females. <strong>The</strong> interview schedule used<br />

had been pilot tested <strong>and</strong> contained sections on demographics; drug<br />

treatment <strong>and</strong> incarceration history; drug use including type <strong>of</strong> drug used,<br />

frequency, <strong>and</strong> method <strong>of</strong> use; patterns <strong>of</strong> needle use <strong>and</strong> reuse; social<br />

context <strong>of</strong> injecting drug use; sexual history; knowledge <strong>of</strong> <strong>and</strong> attitudes<br />

towards <strong>HIV</strong>; <strong>and</strong> behavior change in response to <strong>HIV</strong>.<br />

Results showed that female IVDUs were more likely than males to report<br />

benzodiazepine use. In turn, benzodiazepine users reported younger<br />

mean ages at first injecting use <strong>and</strong> at first regular injection drug use than<br />

did the rest <strong>of</strong> the sample. <strong>The</strong> benzodiazepine users also reported<br />

significantly more injections during the last month <strong>of</strong> use, more injections<br />

<strong>of</strong> heroin, <strong>and</strong> greater frequency <strong>of</strong> injections with borrowed equipment.<br />

<strong>The</strong> benzodiazepine users were more likely to have engaged in<br />

prostitution.<br />

Other information that became clear with this study is that many risk<br />

behaviors took place in the context <strong>of</strong> multiple drug use. It seems likely<br />

that unless use <strong>and</strong> abuse <strong>of</strong> mood-altering drugs among these females are<br />

addressed comprehensively in conjunction with contributing contextual<br />

issues, <strong>HIV</strong> transmission risk behaviors will stay the same or increase.<br />

Forney <strong>and</strong> colleagues (1992) conducted interviews with 60 female drug<br />

users: 25 in rural Georgia <strong>and</strong> 35 in the inner city <strong>of</strong> Miami. <strong>The</strong> women<br />

were approached through street outreach workers <strong>and</strong> contacts with local<br />

public health <strong>and</strong> drug treatment centers. <strong>The</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong> the study was to<br />

determine the sociodemographics <strong>of</strong> women who exchange sex for crack<br />

cocaine; the drug use <strong>and</strong> sexual histories <strong>of</strong> these women; knowledge,<br />

beliefs, <strong>and</strong> attitudes about AIDS <strong>and</strong> <strong>HIV</strong> transmission among women<br />

55

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