HIV RISK BEHAVIORS AMONG FEMALE PROSTITUTE DRUG INJECTORS IN GLASGOW

This paper focuses upon HIV-related risk behaviours of 51 female drug injecting prostitutes, interviewed as part of a serial cross-sectional study of injecting drug users in Glasgow. Forty-five per cent injecte d with used needles and syringes in the 6 months prior to interview. C ondom use in private sexual relations was low with only 9% of those wi th primary partners and 22% of those with casual partners reporting co nsistent use of condoms with these partners. In contrast, use of condo ms for all commercial sexual encounters was almost universal. Prevalen ce of HIV was 2.2%. Despite this low prevalence, we conclude that the level of injecting-related and private sexual risk behaviours reported here requires the continuing monitoring of drug injecting prostitutes in Glasgow.