Cocaine and crack use and HIV risk behaviors among high-risk methadone maintenance clients

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence 1995, Vol.37 (1), p.15-21
• Main Authors: Grella, Christine E., Anglin, M.Douglas, Wugalter, Stuart E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abusers; Addictive behaviors; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; African Americans - psychology; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; California - epidemiology; Cocaine; Comorbidity; Crack; Crack Cocaine; Drug addiction; European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Heroin Dependence - epidemiology; Heroin Dependence - ethnology; Heroin Dependence - rehabilitation; Hispanic Americans - psychology; Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - ethnology; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV Infections - transmission; HIV/AIDS; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Methadone; Methadone - therapeutic use; Miscellaneous; Needle Sharing - adverse effects; Needle Sharing - statistics & numerical data; Personality Assessment; Prospective Studies; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk behaviour; Risk Factors; Sexual Behavior; Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - epidemiology; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - ethnology; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - rehabilitation; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - ethnology; Substance-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/0376-8716(94)01059-T

A discriminant function analysis was performed with data from 409 high-risk heroin addicts at intake into a methadone maintenance treatment program to determine the characteristics of cocaine users. Cocaine users presented a higher-risk profile for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), engaged in a wider variety of criminal activities, were more likely to be African-American, reported more alcohol use, and showed more signs of psychological disturbance. A second discriminant function analysis determined that crack smokers differed from non-crack cocaine users in ethnicity, alcohol use, criminal activity, needle use, and marital status. Heroin addicts who use cocaine, in particular crack, represent a sub-group at higher risk and in need of targeted treatment planning and monitoring.