Social and individual risk determinants of HIV testing practices among noninjection drug users at high risk for HIV/AIDS

• Published in: AIDS care Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 230 - 238
• Main Authors: White, Kellee, Rudolph, Abby E., Jones, Kandice C., Latkin, Carl, Benjamin, Ebele O., Crawford, Natalie D., Fuller, Crystal M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 01-02-2013; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; AIDS; AIDS Serodiagnosis - statistics & numerical data; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Confidence Intervals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug abuse; Drug addiction; Drug addicts; Drug use; Drug Users - psychology; Female; High risk; Higher education; HIV; HIV Infections - diagnosis; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV testing; HIV/AIDS prevention; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunodeficiencies; Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies; Immunopathology; Infectious diseases; Injections; Interviews as Topic; Intravenous drug addicts; Level of education; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; New York City - epidemiology; noninjection drug users; Odds Ratio; Prevalence; Prevention; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Regression analysis; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Partners; Social networks; Social Support; Socioeconomic Factors; Substance-Related Disorders - complications; Surveys and Questionnaires; Testing; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Young Adult; United States; North America; America; New York City; Social environment; High risk; Mental health; Serology; Prevention; drug abuse; Public health; Human; Immunopathology; Drug addiction; HIV/AIDS prevention; social networks; Sexual behavior; Retroviridae; Social network; AIDS; Substance abuse; Medical screening; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Infection; Virus; Viral disease; Risk factor; HIV testing; noninjection drug users; Human immunodeficiency virus; Social support
• ISSN: 0954-0121; 1360-0451
• DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2012.701269

HIV testing services and research among drug users has largely focused on injection drug users (IDUs); yet noninjection drug users (NIDUs) are also at increased risk for HIV due to high-risk sexual behaviors and overlapping networks with IDUs. This study examined drug use, sexual risk, and social network characteristics associated with recent HIV testing (testing within past year) among NIDUs. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were conducted among 418 NIDUs and log-binomial regression models were used to identify correlates of recent HIV testing. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Nearly 97% of NIDUs reported having ever been tested for HIV and most participants (85.7%) indicated testing for HIV within the past year. Factors independently associated with recent HIV testing were higher educational attainment (PR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.03, 3.34) and networks to discuss health and medical services (PR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.20). A prior positive sexually transmitted infection was associated with decreased likelihood of recent HIV test (PR: 0.43; 95% CI 0.25, 0.74). Identifying specific social network characteristics may be effective in facilitating HIV testing and prevention strategies targeting NIDUs.