IS ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY-DISORDER ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASE HIV RISK BEHAVIORS IN COCAINE USERS

Previous reports have shown antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) to be strongly associated with injection equipment sharing and increased rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in a sample of h eroin injectors. Another report has shown ASPD to be associated with i njection drug use, needle sharing, sexual promiscuity, and prostitutio n in a sample of methadone maintenance clients. The current study exte nds this work by examining the relationship of ASPD and human immunode ficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors in a sample of cocaine users (48% out of treatment and 52% just entering treatment). Associations were t ested for sexually risky behaviors in addition to injection behaviors. The principle finding of this study is that ASPD was shown the be ass ociated with increased rates of injection drug use and sharing syringe s, with earlier age of onset of injection drug use, with certain vener eal diseases, and with a variety of HIV risk sexual behaviors. When me n and women were tested separately, the pattern of association of risk y behaviors with ASPD varied considerably. Overall, this work confirms that psychiatric status, especially the presence of ASPD, may have to be considered in evaluating the results of HIV risk-reduction interve ntions.