FREQUENCY OF ALCOHOL-USE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH STD HIV-RELATED RISK PRACTICES, ATTITUDES AND KNOWLEDGE AMONG AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY-RECRUITED SAMPLE/

The aim was to determine the association between frequency of alcohol use in the past 30 days and HIV-related risk behaviours among adults i n an African-American community. Data were collected by trained street outreach workers, from 522 persons in 4 areas selected on the basis o f 7 health and criminal justice indicators of high risk for HIV, STD a nd substance abuse, and drug-related arrests. A survey assessed demogr aphics, substance use, sexual behaviour, HIV knowledge, attitudes and depression. Subjects reporting using drugs other than alcohol (n=201) were excluded from analyses to avoid the confounding influence of poly substance use. Of the remaining 321 subjects (mean age=37.1; 58.5% wer e male), 43.6% reported no alcohol use in the past 30 days, with 37.4% and 19.0%, respectively, having used alcohol <=15 days and =>16 days in the past 30 days. Alcohol use frequency (no alcohol, 1-15 days, 16- 30 days in past month) was significantly associated with being male, S TD history, non-use of condoms, higher perceived risk of HIV, lower co ndom use self-efficacy, multiple sex partners in the past 30 days, and lower HIV-related knowledge. Frequent alcohol use, in the absence of other drugs, is associated with higher levels of HIV risk behaviours. Though an underserved population with respect to HIV prevention and, g iven the prevalence of alcohol use, the findings suggest that programm es need to target frequent alcohol users to reduce their HIV-associate d risk behaviours and enhance HIV risk-reduction knowledge and attitud es associated with the adoption of HIV prevention practices.