Lowering hiv risk among ethnic minority drug users: Comparing culturally targeted intervention to a standard intervention

To test the efficacy of culturally targeted acquired immunodeficiency syndr ome (AIDS) prevention programs on ethnic minority street drug users, 669 Af rican-American and Puerto Rican drug users were assigned to receive either the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) standard intervention or a cult urally competent enhanced intervention in a quasi-experimental study. The s tandard intervention was a two-session educational program, while both the African-American and Puerto Rican enhanced interventions provided additiona l AIDS information in a culturally appropriate fashion. Although human immu nodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors, as measured by Bell's risk indices , decreased, there were no meaningful significant differences between inter ventions. However, participants who went into drug treatment programs showe d greater reduction in HIV risk behavior. Cultural interventions may provid e better outcome if they concentrate on getting participants into drug trea tment.