Premium
PROSTITUTION, IV DRUG USE, AND SEXFOR‐CRACK EXCHANGES AMONG SERIOUS DELINQUENTS: RISKS FOR HIV INFECTION *
Author(s) -
INCIARDI JAMES A.,
POTTIEGER ANNE E.,
FORNEY MARY ANN,
CHITWOOD DALE D.,
McBRIDE DUANE C.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
criminology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.467
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1745-9125
pISSN - 0011-1384
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1991.tb01065.x
Subject(s) - intervention (counseling) , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , drug , intravenous drug , medicine , illicit drug , psychiatry , psychology , demography , family medicine , sociology , viral disease
There is mounting evidence that HIV infection among adolescents is increasing, particularly among minorities and inner‐city youths involved in certain high‐risk activities, such as multiple sex partners and intravenous drug use. Interviews conducted “on the street” with 611 seriously delinquent male and female adolescents (ages 12–17) included questions about their involvement in prostitution, intravenous drug use, and sex‐for‐crack exchanges. Findings included high percentages of youths engaged in these HIV‐risk activities and a consistent association between all of them and greater illicit drug use. This would suggest that these risk behaviors may be surprisingly prevalent among some inner‐city adolescent groups. Special AIDS prevention/intervention targeting these groups is warranted and urgently needed. Drug treatment should be a central focus of such programs.