SELF-HELP GROUPS - A KEY TO HIV RISK REDUCTION FOR HIGH-RISK INJECTION-DRUG USERS

While recent studies indicate that injection drug users (IDUs) can cha nge their behavior to reduce injection risk of HIV, it remains unclear which users are most likely to change and which mediating variables a re most amenable to intervention. We report a study in which a cohort of high-risk IDUs was followed over time to determine which variables were associated with reduced injection risk of HIV. Of 317 IDUs who at baseline had shared a dirty needle in the previous 30 days, 234 (74%) were followed for 6 months. Of these, 107 (46%) reported reduced or e liminated injection risk between the baseline and follow-up interviews , 82 (35%) by not injecting and 25 (11%) by not sharing syringes. Thos e who attended self-help meetings between the two interviews were almo st twice as likely to report reduced or eliminated risk as those who d id not attend (OR = 1.92; p = 0.04). The findings suggest that, at lea st, IDUs in self-help groups comprise a population amenable to HIV int erventions and, at most, that self-help groups may play an important r ole in reducing the risk of HIV in out-of-treatment populations.