Predictors of HIV-related risk behaviors among heterosexuals in alcoholism treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To determine which measures of alcohol and drug use are associated with HIV-related sexual risk and protective behaviors.


METHODS
Entrants (N = 743, 72% male) to alcoholism treatment clinics underwent a structured interview including an assessment of demographics, substance abuse characteristics and sexual behaviors. Associations were examined between alcohol- and drug-related behaviors, and demographic variables, with the prevalence of high-risk sexual behaviors.


RESULTS
Those more likely to use alcohol or drugs when having sex, and those who expect to have high-risk sex when they drink alcohol, were more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behavior. Measures of severity of alcohol or drug problems alone were not consistently related to high-risk or protective behaviors. Several other concurrently used measures (such as the Addition Severity Index and alcohol expectancies) showed more consistent association with high-risk behaviors. There was no apparent reduction in the likelihood of practicing risk-reducing behaviors among those more severely addicted and those who combined alcohol and/or drugs with sex.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that sexual risk and protective behaviors are not consistently associated with severity of addiction problems. Some measures of alcohol and drug use (i.e., the ASI Drug Composite Score and the Enhanced Risk subscale of the alcohol expectancy measure) were more consistently related to the specific risk behaviors measured than were others (e.g., the ASI Alcohol Composite Score), while most measures showed little or no association with protective behaviors.
Woods
W J
WJ
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco 94105, USA.
Avins
A L
AL
Lindan
C P
CP
Hudes
E S
ES
Boscarino
J A
JA
Clark
W W
WW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation