title: Life events and sexual risk among HIV-negative, heterosexual, methamphetamine users.
abstract: Identifying psychosocial factors associated with sexual risk behavior among methamphetamine users is essential to enhancing HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention. This study examined the relationship between positive and negative life events and sexual risk behavior in a sample of 100 HIV-negative, heterosexually identified, methamphetamine-using men and women. Negative life event categories included death of a significant other, negative health event involving self or significant other, and child custody or visitation issues. Categories of positive life events included birth or pregnancy involving self or significant other, a positive relationship event, and a positive life change. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that negative life events were positively associated with total number of unprotected sex acts, whereas positive life events were not associated with sexual risk taking. Also, amount of methamphetamine used did not moderate the relationship between life events and sexual risk behavior. These data support future research to identify underlying mechanisms that link negative life events to sexual risk taking in this high-risk population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0680, USA. tpatterson@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Shirley J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Semple
authors.forename: Steffanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Strathdee
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zians
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008694:Methamphetamine