A brief intervention for hazardous drinkers in a needle exchange program.
Document Type
Article, Non peer-reviewed
Publication Date
2-18-2002
Abstract
Active injection drug users (IDUs) who are also hazardous alcohol users are at particularly high risk for HIV transmission due to sharing of injection equipment. We recruited AUDIT-positive injectors from the Providence, RI needle exchange program for a randomized clinical trial testing the effect of a brief motivational intervention (MI) on frequency of injection-related HIV risk behavior (IRRB). HIV drug risk behavior was measured as the number of days on which subjects reported sharing works using the 30-day Timeline Followback Method. Overall, 109 subjects reported a mean reduction of IRRB days of 9.1 days from baseline to 6-month follow-up (p <.001). When compared to controls, there was a trend in reduction of IRRB days to zero at follow-up for MI subject (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 0.9-4.5), and strongly significant reductions in IRRB days across a range of alternative improvement thresholds. Results from this study demonstrate that MI reduces drug-related HIV risk behaviors among active IDUs. As a brief intervention, MI may be a useful adjunct to existing services intended to reduce harm.
Recommended Citation
Stein, Michael D.; Anderson, Bradley; Charuvastra, Anthony; Maksad, Jinane; and Friedmann, Peter D., "A brief intervention for hazardous drinkers in a needle exchange program." (2002). All Scholarly Works. 8491.
https://scholarlycommons.libraryinfo.bhs.org/all_works/8491
PMID
11849904