Reducing HIV risks among active injection drug and crack users: the safety counts program.
The efficacy of Safety Counts, a CDC-diffused intervention, was reanalyzed. In a quasi experimental, cross-over design, injection drug users (IDU) and crack users in two neighborhoods were assigned by neighborhood to receive individual Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing or Safety Counts and 78% were reassessed at 5-9 months. Drug users in the Safety Counts program reported significantly greater reductions in risky sex, crack and hard drug use, and risky drug injection. The more sessions of Safety Counts attended, the greater were the reductions in risky acts. Different analytic decisions result in very different findings for the same intervention. Safety Counts is an effective intervention for IDU and crack users. Analytic decision of intervention outcomes is highly related to evaluations of an intervention's efficacy.
Rotheram-Borus
Mary Jane
MJ
Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Rotheram@ucla.edu
Rhodes
Fen
F
Desmond
Katherine
K
Weiss
Robert E
RE
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D000328:Adult; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States
D016578:Crack Cocaine