REDUCED PROBABILITY OF HIV-INFECTION AMONG CRACK COCAINE-USING INJECTION-DRUG USERS

Objectives. This study examined in greater detail the authors' previou sly reported finding that crack use among injection drug users is asso ciated with lower levels of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus HIV). Methods. Self-reported data and blood tests for HIV antibo dies from 4840 out-of-treatment injection drug users were used to exam ine relationships among crack use, HIV risk behavior, and HIV infectio n. Results. Crack use was significantly associated with higher levels of many sexual risk and needle use behaviors and was consistently asso ciated, independently of all behavioral variables examined, with lower rates of HIV infection. Conclusions. Crack use among injection drug u sers appears to be associated with lower risk for HIV infection indepe ndently of other behavioral variables.