NCJ Number
125575
Journal
Youth and Society Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: (September 1990) Pages: 54-66
Date Published
1990
Length
13 pages
Annotation
An ethnographic analysis of the Bayview community in San Francisco and interviews of 222 adolescent crack cocaine users formed the basis of the connection between drug use and AIDS among black youth in the San Francisco area.
Abstract
The ethnographic study examined every block in the community in 1988 to gain insights about the community's social structure and organization, to determine where crack was sold, and to converse with both dealers and users. The interviews lasted 45 minutes; were conducted by trained community outreach workers; and gathered information on behaviors related to drug use, sexual activity, and HIV risk factors. Results showed that crack sales and use were concentrated in deteriorating areas of the community. In addition, 42 percent of the youths reported at least one sexually-transmitted disease. Results suggested the need for AIDS prevention strategies that would focus on public housing projects close to crack sales, matching efforts to specific communities, the involvement of community residents in AIDS prevention strategies, and long-range efforts to reduce the economic and social isolation of alienated black communities. 18 references.