STIMULANT ABUSE TREATMENT AS HIV PREVENTION

Individuals who use illicit stimulants, primarily cocaine and methamph etamine, engage in substantial amounts of HIV-related sexual risk beha viors when under the influence. This paper presents the idea that redu ctions in stimulant use consequent to drug treatment makes stimulant d rug treatment an important HIV prevention tool for this high-risk popu lation. Data are presented to describe many of the HIV-related sexual risks reported by out-of-treatment methamphetamine users and by cocain e and methamphetamine abusers at treatment entry and six months post t reatment entry. Overall, our findings demonstrate that following initi ation of a treatment episode, stimulant abusers demonstrate significan t and relevant reductions in HIV-related sexual behaviors, primarily b y reducing the number of sexual partners. Rea sons for why stimulant t reatment corresponds to HIV transmission risk reductions and suggestio ns for implementing prevention messages in treatment settings are offe red.