title: High risk sexual behaviours among heroin sniffers who have no history of injection drug use: implications for HIV risk reduction.
abstract: The purpose of this paper is to assess sexual behaviours which place heroin sniffers (HSs) at high risk for HIV infection. A stratified network-based sample was used to recruit HSs who had no history of injection drug use was recruited from the streets of South Florida, USA. HSs displayed a high HIV seroprevalence rate of 12.1%; women (18.1%) were more likely than men (8.7%) to test positive for HIV. Both men and women HSs engaged in considerable high risk sex behaviour, including high risk sex-exchange behaviour. The use of crack cocaine was associated with increased sex exchange behaviour among women. The need for intervention programs targeted toward HSs is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146-0719, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Comerford
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Chitwood
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: McCoy
mesh_terms: D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D016578:Crack Cocaine