AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) Health Education for Intravenous Drug Users (From AIDS and IV Drug Abusers: Current Perspectives, P 199-214, 1988, Robert P Galea, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-112198)

• NCJ Number: 112216
• Author(s): S R Friedman; D C DesJarlais; J L Sotheran
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Reprinted, with changes, from 'AIDS Health Education for Intravenous Drug Users,' by Samuel R. Friedman, Don C. Des Jarlais, and Jo L. Sotheran, Health Education Quarterly 13(4):383-93, 1986, by permission of John Wiley and Sons, Inc. (New York). Copyright 1986 by SOPHE.

Annotation

Focusing on drug users as the second largest risk group for AIDS and as a primary link to other increased risk groups, this article discusses approaches to educate IV drug users to help prevent the transmission of AIDS.

Abstract

In some cities, knowledge about AIDS transmission is widespread among IV drug users, and most drug injectors report having changed their drug use practices to reduce their risks. Attempts to change IV drug use behavior have to consider the social organization of IV drug use, i.e. illegal behavior, mistrust, and negative feelings towards conventional society. Also, the risk of death was a part of IV drug user subculture long before AIDS. In 1984, a study done in New York found that IV drug users had considerable knowledge about AIDS, as well as some false information. The study also reported individual behavior change to avoid AIDS, such as decreasing needle sharing or stopping IV drug use altogether. The main functions of health education programs should be disseminating new discoveries regarding AIDS, reaching uninformed drug users, and providing information about new programs to help deal with AIDS-related problems. IV drug users need to know how to clean needles, how to get tested, and how to prevent transmission of AIDS. Efforts to encourage subcultural change of IV drug users, such as refusal to share needles, should be carried out by an organization within the subculture. Examples are the 'Junkybond' organization in the Netherlands and the Association for Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) in New York. 28 references.