EFFECTIVENESS OF HIV AIDS INTERVENTIONS ON DRUG-USE AND NEEDLE RISK BEHAVIORS FOR OUT-OF-TREATMENT INJECTION-DRUG USERS/

This study presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of the AIDS Com munity-Based Outreach/lntervention projects implemented as part of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Cooperative Agreement (CA), w hich began in 1990 and is currently ongoing. Participants in the CA we re randomly assigned to one of two interventions: a NIDA/CA-developed standard intervention (SI); or the SI plus a site-specific enhanced in tervention (EI). Analyses of drug use and needle-related risk behavior s were conducted among injection drug users (IDUs) in eight participat ing cities where follow-up rates of at least 60% were obtained (N=3,74 3). Results indicated that IDUs significantly reduced their needle-rel ated risk behaviors following delivery of the interventions and that a substantial portion entered substance abuse treatment. However, there was relatively little to support the effectiveness of more expensive and involved enhanced interventions. A number of factors associated wi th increasing or maintaining high risk behaviors, including an HIV neg ative serostatus and a greater perceived chance of acquiring AIDS, wer e also observed. Continued outreach to drug injectors is recommended, as well as the development of new and creative interventions targeting individuals who are HIV negative and those who are aware of their hig h risk status but have not changed their behaviors in response to risk -reduction interventions.