Prospective effects of perceived risk of developing HIV/AIDS on risk behaviors among injection drug users in Puerto Rico

• Published in: Addiction (Abingdon, England) England), 1995-08, Vol.90 (8), p.1105-1111
• Main Authors: ROBLES, R.R, CANCEL, L.I, COLON, H.M, MATOS, T.D, FREEMAN, D.H, SAHAI, H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - epidemiology; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - psychology; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - transmission; Addictive behaviors; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; AIDS; Biological and medical sciences; Drug abuse; Drug addiction; Drug Injection; Drug Use; Factors; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - psychology; HIV Infections - transmission; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Intravenous drug addicts; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Needle Sharing; Needle Sharing - psychology; Needle Sharing - statistics & numerical data; Perceptions; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Puerto Rico; Puerto Rico - epidemiology; Risk; Risk behaviour; Risk-Taking; Sexual behaviour; Social Environment; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - complications; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - epidemiology; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - psychology
• ISSN: 0965-2140; 1360-0443
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1995.tb01069.x

The relationship between perceived risk of developing AIDS and subsequent behavioral risk status is estimated for 1740 Puerto Rican injection drug users (IDUs). Prospective behavioral effects were examined comparing data collected at two intervals approximately 6 months apart. We estimated the association between perceived risk at baseline and risky behaviors at follow-up with unadjusted odds ratios. We confirmed the results with adjusted odds ratios using logistic regressions which included baseline risk status as well as socio-demographic and health status covariates. The analyses showed that having a high HIV/AIDS risk perception was related to subsequent sharing of needles, injection of drugs in shooting galleries and sharing of cookers. None of the tests between risk perception and sex risk behaviors showed a significance association. Increasing IDUs' perceived vulnerability to HIV/AIDS might not be effective in helping reduce HIV risk behaviors. IDUs perceiving themselves to be at high risk of AIDS might believe there is little they can do to reverse the consequences of risky behavior.