Combined HIV Prevention, the New York City Condom Distribution Program, and the Evolution of Safer Sex Behavior Among Persons Who Inject Drugs in New York City

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: D. C. Des Jarlais, Beth Israel Medical Center; K. Arasteh, Beth Israel Medical Center; C Mcknight, Beth Israel Medical Center; J. Feelemyer, Beth Israel Medical Center; H. Hagan, New York University; Hannah Cooper, Emory University; D. C. Perlman, Beth Israel Medical Center
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-03-01
• Publisher: Springer (part of Springer Nature): Springer Open Choice Hybrid Journals
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0664-0
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: AIDS and Behavior
• ISSN: 1090-7165
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 443
• End Page: 451
• Grant/Funding Information: Grant Funding: 5R01DA003574
• Keywords: NYC CONDOM; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; EPIDEMIC; Combined prevention; PARTICIPATION; HIV; Heterosexual transmission; TRANSMISSION; STERILE SYRINGES; Social Sciences, Biomedical; ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY; Harm reduction; USERS; Persons who inject drugs; ACCESS; INFECTION; Science & Technology; Social Sciences; Condom/condom promotion; Biomedical Social Sciences; DECLINING AIDS MORTALITY; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Examine long term sexual risk behaviors among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in New York City following implementation of "combined" prevention programming, including condom social marketing. Quantitative interviews and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing were conducted among PWID entering Beth Israel Medical Center drug treatment programs 1990-2012. Data were analyzed by four time periods corresponding to the cumulative implementation of HIV prevention interventions. 7,132 subjects were recruited from 1990 to 2012; little change in sexual behavior occurred among HIV seronegative subjects, while HIV seropositive subjects reported significant decreases in being sexually active and significant increases in consistent condom use. HIV transmission risk (being HIV positive and engaging in unprotected sex) declined from 14 % in 1990-1995 to 2 % in 2007-2012 for primary sexual partners and from 6 to 1 % for casual partners. Cumulative implementation of combined prevention programming for PWID was associated with substantial decreases in sexual risk behavior among HIV seropositives.