Knowledge of AIDS risk factors in South Bronx minority college students

Article Abstract:

A high percentage of the individuals who have AIDS are from minority groups. Eighteen percent of all persons with AIDS in the United States are black or Hispanic. However, blacks and Hispanics account for 70 percent of all cases in heterosexual men, 70 percent of cases in women, 75 percent of cases in children under the age of 13, and 40 percent of the cases which have been reported since July 1988. A survey about knowledge of the risk factors that are involved in the transmission of AIDS was conducted in 1,869 minority students who attended Hostos Community College in the South Bronx. This college is bilingual and its student population is 84 percent Hispanic and 12 percent black. The South Bronx is considered an epicenter of the AIDS epidemic; the rate of intravenous drug use among those living there is among the highest in the country. Only 69 percent of the students recognized that sexual intercourse without the use of a condom is a risk factor. Sixty-one percent recognized the risk of having sexual intercourse with a partner who used intravenous drugs five years ago. Fifty-eight percent recognized the risk of having sexual intercourse with a partner who had a male homosexual relationship five years ago and 55 percent realized that there was a risk to an unborn infant if the mother had a sexual relationship with a partner who used intravenous drugs five years ago. The understanding of the risk factors was not related to the individual's age, ability to speak English, length of time in college, or length of time living in the United States. This lack of knowledge among college students living in the South Bronx, who would be most likely to be informed, indicates the potential for the spread of AIDS through heterosexual and maternal relationships. Prevention programs have not been successful in reaching a large group of minorities in the South Bronx, and additional effort in terms of public education is needed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, New York, New York, Disease transmission, Health education

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Race/ethnicity as a risk factor for HIV-1 infection among Connecticut intravenous drug users

Article Abstract:

There are disproportionately large numbers of blacks and Hispanics who have AIDS in the United States. Race- and ethnicity-specific risk factors for HIV infection were analyzed by studying demographic, behavioral, and economic factors associated with HIV infection in 341 intravenous drug users (IVDUs). The subjects were receiving treatment for drug abuse in four cities in Connecticut (Stamford, New Haven, Waterbury, and Hartford) in 1986 and 1987. Sixty-eight percent of the people in the study were non-Hispanic whites, 22 percent were black, and 10 percent were Hispanic. Blacks and Hispanics had an increased risk of HIV infection compared with non-Hispanic whites. Increased risk was seen in those who lived closest to New York City, injected drugs more frequently, used intravenous drugs for longer periods of time, used shooting galleries, had greater numbers of sexual partners, had infections with cytomegalovirus or hepatitis B virus, and had lower annual incomes. However, none of the demographic, behavioral, or economic differences could explain the increased numbers of black and Hispanic IVDUs who were infected with HIV. When the risk factors were analyzed independently, the significant individual risk factors for HIV infection were being black, being Hispanic, closeness to New York City, and number of drug injections in the past year. Therefore, the increased risk for HIV infection among black and Hispanic intravenous drug users is not understood, but may be related to behavioral, sociologic, or biologic factors not recognized in this study. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Connecticut, Minorities

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Sexual behaviors of intravenous drug users in treatment

Article Abstract:

Transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among intravenous drugs users (IVDUs) occurs primarily through the use of shared needles and syringes that are contaminated with the virus. Another route of transmission is the sexual one, which allows the virus to be transmitted to the general public. The sexual behavior of 313 IVDUs (225 men and 88 women) who were undergoing drug rehabilitation was determined through interviews. The majority of the men (53 percent) and women (64 percent) had only one or no sexual partner during the previous year. However, a number of IVDUs that had multiple sex partners. Twenty percent of the men and 7 percent of the women had five or more sexual partners. The use of condoms was limited, with only 39 percent of the men and 35 percent of the women using condoms at least once during the previous five years. The women who had multiple sex partners were more likely to use condoms, but this was not true for men. Individuals who had greater numbers of sexual partners were more likely to have used intravenous drugs in the past year, shared needles with other IVDUs, used stimulants, exchanged sex for money or drugs and had sex when using drugs. Therefore, a subset of male IVDUs exists who share intravenous drug equipment and who have sex with multiple partners and do not use condoms to prevent the spread of HIV. This population can spread the virus to the general heterosexual population and should be targeted in prevention programs. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Usage, Condoms

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