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HIV Infection in Intravenous Drug Abusers
Author(s) -
Williams Ann Bartley,
D'Aquila Richard T.,
Williams Alan E.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
image: the journal of nursing scholarship
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1547-5069
pISSN - 0743-5150
DOI - 10.1111/j.1547-5069.1987.tb00003.x
Subject(s) - intravenous drug , seroprevalence , medicine , substance abuse , psychological intervention , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , drug abuser , drug , ethnic group , population , family medicine , psychiatry , immunology , viral disease , environmental health , antibody , serology , sociology , anthropology
To develop prevention interventions and strategies, we conducted a study to determine the seroprevalence of HIV infection among intravenous drug abusers seeking treatment for drug abuse and to identify specific risk factors for HIV infection in this group. Of the sample, 24 percent were seropositive. Specific risk factors included black or Hispanic ethnicity, older age, a longer history of intravenous drug abuse and a higher man number of illegal injections in the past year. Suggestions are made for nurses and health educators providing AIDS/HIV education to this population.