HIV RISK AMONG WOMEN INJECTING DRUG-USERS WHO ARE IN JAIL

Female offender populations and females in jail include large proporti ons of injecting drug users (IDUs), who are at high risk of contractin g or transmitting HIV. Women IDUs (n = 165) were recruited and intervi ewed at New York City's central jail facility for women. The study exa mined these women's patterns of HIV risk behaviors related to drugs an d sex and identified behavioral and attitudinal correlates of HIV sero status. The women typically used both injectable and non-injectable dr ugs prior to arrest, primarily heroin, cocaine powder, crack, and illi cit methadone. Self-reported HIV seropositivity was 43%. Variables cor related with HIV serostatus in the bivariate analysis were: cocaine in jection frequency; lifetime injection risk behavior; providing oral se x during male crack use; Hispanic ethnicity; sharing of needles/syring es; sharing of cookers; sharing injection equipment with friends; hero in smoking (negative); injection risk acceptance; peer norms and behav ior; lifetime sexual risk behavior; frequency of sex with men; provisi on of sex for money or drugs; and knowing people with AIDS. The first four variables listed retained statistical significance in a multiple logistic regression analysis. The paper considers the need to tailor A IDS prevention interventions for woman IDUs in jail, including taking into account risk behaviors that occur within frequently reported same -sex partnerships.