Aids-Related Knowledge, Beliefs and Risk Behaviors in a Sample of Crack Addicts

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.E. Khalsa ◽  
M.R. Kowalewski ◽  
R. Lunn ◽  
M.D. Anglin ◽  
K.A. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
Sexual Transmission ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Male Veterans ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Crack Use ◽  
Consistent Basis

This longitudinal study examines male veterans with a history of cocaine dependence and treatment, focusing on the relationship between levels of crack use and HIV-related knowledge, beliefs and risk behaviors. Over half the subjects were African-American and the majority were heterosexual. A survey instrument was administered at one and two years after initiating treatment. HIV serotesting was conducted at each interview which showed the rate of seropositivity to be low at both points. Knowledge about HIV transmission increased significantly over time for the sample, but no differences were significantly related to level of crack use. Few subjects report the use of condoms on a consistent basis, regardless of crack use level. However, both the number of sex partners reported and beliefs about personal susceptibility to HIV infection increased as the level of crack use increased. Our crack-using subjects had not fully internalized their risk of HIV infection or were fatalistic about their ability to change HIV-related risk behaviors. Either of these possibilities presents a significant challenge to education and prevention efforts targeted to crack users. AIDS education efforts in drug treatment programs may need to more strongly emphasize the sexual transmission routes of HIV infection and highlight the effects of cocaine use on sexual practices.

scholarly journals The Magnitude of the Impact of HIV on the Human Beings in the World’s Richest Country, America: The Misery of African Americans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muse Abdi
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Mass Incarceration ◽  
Prevention Programs ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
The Impact

Disproportionate rates of HIV infection among African Americans is an increasing concern in the United States. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of HIV prevention programs on African Americans and social determinants fueling HIV-related risk behaviors. Using literature, this study analyzed the incidences of HIV infection among African Americans in the United States and the effectiveness of the prevention programs. African Americans struggle with mass incarceration, drugs, stigma, criminalization, and lack of economic opportunities, which contribute to the HIV-related risk behaviors. The existing traditional prevention programs in place are not working for African Americans. Tailored and culturally relevant programs should be designed and implemented. Further studies are needed to establish the causal relationships and develop preventive measures.

scholarly journals HIV infection and related risk behaviors: does school support level the playing field between orphans and nonorphans in Zimbabwe?

AIDS Care ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 1191-1195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Winnie Luseno ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Simbarashe Rusakaniko ◽  
Hyunsan Cho ◽  
Denise Hallfors
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
School Support ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Support Level ◽  
Related Risk

scholarly journals Strategies to prevent HIV transmission to serodiscordant couples

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 169-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronaldo Campos Hallal ◽  
Juan Carlos Raxach ◽  
Nêmora Tregnago Barcellos ◽  
Ivia Maksud
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
Sexual Transmission ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Prevention Policy ◽  
Serodiscordant Couples ◽  
Prevention Interventions ◽  
Single Strategy ◽  
Sexual Transmission Of Hiv ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

ABSTRACTIntroduction:The use antiretroviral reduces the sexual transmission of HIV, expanding interventions for serodiscordant couples.Objective:This article aims to review the use of antiretroviral and other prevention interventions among serodiscordant couples and to analyze its use in Brazil.Methods:A retrospective review was performed through the MEDLINE database and bases included in the Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde.Results:The articles recovered exhibit four main strategies: (1) condom; (2) reduction of risks in sexual practices; (3) use of antiretrovirals, particularly early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (TASP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); (4) risk reduction in reproduction.Discussion:TASP is highly effective in reducing sexual transmission, PrEP was tested in serodiscordant couples and both reduce the sexual transmission risk in different sexual practices, enabling individualized prevention strategies.Conclusions:When used in combination, antiretrovirals and sexual practices with condoms offer greater efficacy than any single strategy. The combined use of new and old strategies allows us to build a prevention policy for all.

scholarly journals Hyaluronic acid is a negative regulator of mucosal fibroblast-mediated enhancement of HIV infection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanne H. Egedal ◽  
Guorui Xie ◽  
Thomas A. Packard ◽  
Anders Laustsen ◽  
Jason Neidleman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Hyaluronic Acid ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Cd4 T Cells ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
Cell Metabolism ◽  
Sexual Transmission ◽  
Rectal Mucosa ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
Negative Regulator

AbstractThe majority of HIV infections are established through the genital or rectal mucosa. Fibroblasts are abundant in these tissues, and although not susceptible to infection, can potently enhance HIV infection of CD4+ T cells. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a major component of the extracellular matrix of fibroblasts, and its levels are influenced by the inflammatory state of the tissue. Since inflammation is known to facilitate HIV sexual transmission, we investigated the role of HA in genital mucosal fibroblast-mediated enhancement of HIV infection. Depletion of HA by CRISPR-Cas9 in primary foreskin fibroblasts augmented the ability of the fibroblasts to increase HIV infection of CD4+ T cells. This amplified enhancement required direct contact between the fibroblasts and CD4+ T cells, and could be attributed to both increased rates of trans-infection and the increased ability of HA-deficient fibroblasts to push CD4+ T cells into a state of higher permissivity to infection. This HIV-permissive state was characterized by differential expression of genes associated with regulation of cell metabolism and death. Our results suggest that conditions resulting in diminished cell-surface HA on fibroblasts, such as genital inflammation, can promote HIV transmission by conditioning CD4+ T cells toward a state more vulnerable to infection by HIV.

scholarly journals Income Status and Education as Predictors of HIV Transmission in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maham Yousufzai
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
South African ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Income Status ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
African Context ◽  
Education Act

The global Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic targets various populations around the world, and South Africa is one of a number of countries where prevalence rates of the virus continue to increase despite the introduction of a viable treatment option. Previously investigated implications of HIV in South Africa are primarily related to its effects on the health-care sector of the country. However, complex socioeconomic processes are relevant to the discussion of HIV-related risk factors and consequences affecting individuals and households within South Africa. A large body of literature covers many socioeconomic perspectives on HIV, including the effect of socioeconomic status on HIV infection. While the roles of income status and education as risk factors for HIV infection have been explored extensively in a South African context, the connection between this and consequent adverse impacts on these factors as a result of HIV infection has not been clearly identified. This paper aims to address the gap in the literature regarding how specific socioeconomic factors act as risk factors for HIV contraction, but also how the same factors are affected as an associated outcome in those infected with HIV. Specifically, this paper argues that income status and education act as risk factors for HIV through their effects on individual behaviour, while also being adversely impacted due to the occurrence of infection. These impacts on income status and education contribute to South Africa’s inability to stop perpetuating the cycle of HIV prevalence.            

scholarly journals Correlation between HIV and HCV in Brazilian prisoners: evidence for parenteral transmission inside prison

2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 431-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
MN Burattini ◽  
E Massad ◽  
M Rozman ◽  
RS Azevedo ◽  
HB Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
Density Ratio ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Incidence Density ◽  
Serological Tests ◽  
Parenteral Transmission ◽  
Parenteral Exposure ◽  
Mathematical Techniques

OBJECTIVE: It is an accepted fact that confinement conditions increase the risk of some infections related to sexual and/or injecting drugs practices. Mathematical techniques were applied to estimate time-dependent incidence densities of HIV infection among inmates. METHODS: A total of 631 prisoners from a Brazilian prison with 4,900 inmates at that time were interviewed and their blood drawn. Risky behavior for HIV infection was analyzed, and serological tests for HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis were performed, intended as surrogates for parenteral and sexual HIV transmission, respectively. Mathematical techniques were used to estimate the incidence density ratio, as related to the time of imprisonment. RESULTS: Prevalence were: HIV -- 16%; HCV -- 34%; and syphilis -- 18%. The main risk behaviors related to HIV infection were HCV prevalence (OR=10.49) and the acknowledged use of injecting drugs (OR=3.36). Incidence density ratio derivation showed that the risk of acquiring HIV infection increases with the time of imprisonment, peaking around three years after incarceration. CONCLUSIONS: The correlation between HIV and HCV seroprevalence and the results of the mathematical analysis suggest that HIV transmission in this population is predominantly due to parenteral exposure by injecting drug, and that it increases with time of imprisonment.

Men's Sexual Risk Factors for HIV Infection: Racial Differences in Behavior, Knowledge, and Self-Perceptions

1997 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Tewksbury ◽  
Darin K. Moore
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Hiv Risk ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Hiv Risk Behaviors ◽  
Hiv Prevention Intervention

HIV transmission most often results from individually-induced activities. Previous research into HIV transmission has identified both high-risk groups and high-risk behaviors. This research identifies differences between white and African-American men and their participation in HIV-risk behaviors, HIV-related knowledge, and self-perceived likelihood for HIV infection. Findings show a contradiction between reported HIV-risk behaviors and self-perceived risk of contracting HIV for all male participants. Furthermore, racial differences are significantly related to both the type and number of sexual partners, participation in and frequency of condom use for various sexual activities, and levels of self-perceived knowledge of HIV/AIDS. These findings and implications on current and future HIV prevention/intervention efforts are discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document