AIDS-related risk behavior, knowledge, and beliefs among women and their Mexican-American sexual partners who used intravenous drugs.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the risk behaviors, knowledge, and beliefs regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) among women and their sexual partners who were Mexican-American men who used intravenous drugs.


METHODS
Survey of male methadone users and their female sexual partners.


METHODS
Mexican-American male clients at a methadone clinic in Los Angeles, Calif, were consecutively recruited for the study. A method similar to partner contact tracing was used to identify female subjects. One hundred subjects, representing 50 male-female pairs of sexual partners, answered identical questionnaires. The responses from females were compared with those from their male partners.


RESULTS
Seventy-four percent of the females disclosed that they used intravenous drugs, and 88% knew that their male partners were intravenous drug users. Of subjects who used intravenous drugs, 73% (27/37) of females and 88% (44/50) of males currently injected themselves and shared uncleaned needles. Seventy-six percent of females and 84% of males never used a condom during the previous year, and about 20% of both sexes had more than one sexual partner. Even though most of the females understood how HIV was transmitted and recognized themselves as at risk for AIDS, they continued to share needles unsafely and place themselves at risk for acquiring HIV infection through sex.


CONCLUSIONS
This group of females and their male sexual partners engaged in multiple behaviors that may contribute to the further propagation of HIV infection.
Parra
E O
EO
Department of Family Practice, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine.
Shapiro
M F
MF
Moreno
C A
CA
Linn
L
L
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission*; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation
D008691:Methadone