CORRELATES OF HIV SEROPOSITIVITY AND HIV TESTING AMONG OUT-OF-TREATMENT DRUG-USERS

This study: 1) examined the rate and correlates of human immunodeficie ncy virus (HIV) seropositivity; and 2) assessed whether self-selection in HIV testing influenced the rate and correlates of HIV seropositivi ty in a group of out-of-treatment drug users. Data were collected from 856 out-of-treatment drug users in Philadelphia between January 1993 and August 1994. Seventy-four percent of the sample elected to take an HIV test that was included in the project in which the drug users wer e enrolled, and of these, 11% were HIV positive. Multivariate analyses indicated that those who were younger, those who had an injection-dru g-using sex partner, and those who reported no recent sexual activity were more likely to be HIV positive. An examination of the multivariat e correlates of HIV testing indicated that subjects who took an HIV te st had higher rates of participation in some risk behaviors than did s ubjects who did not take an HIV test, but lower rates for other risk b ehaviors. None of the correlates of HIV seropositivity were correlates of HIV testing. Although the generalizability of the HIV seroprevalen ce rate is unclear, it is probable that the correlates of HIV seroposi tivity are generalizable to the total sample. The results of this stud y indicate the importance of interventions that target sexual risk beh avior among out-of-treatment drug users, and of assessing the impact o f self-selection bias whenever the rate and correlates of HIV seroposi tivity are examined.