Changes in HIV Risk Behaviors among Counseled Injecting Drug Users

A community sample of ninety-one HIV seronegative IDUs were randomly assigned to either a one-hour, one-on-one, intensive educational intervention or a fifteen-minute “standard” educational session. Risk behaviors for the prior six months were assessed by interview before the intervention and six months later. Self-reported injecting drug use decreased from 100% to 70% at the six-month follow-up and the proportion injecting daily dropped from 42% to 18%. The proportion who used someone else's injection equipment dropped from 65% to 34%. Nearly all IDUs who continued to inject reported using bleach to clean their equipment. There was no significant additional benefit from the intensive intervention. Variables hypothesized to mediate reduction in HIV risk behavior (personal distress, perceived personal risk, and intention to reduce risky behavior) were not associated with reduction of activities with high-risk for HIV infection. These data suggest that individualized, short-term educational interventions probably have limited impact on lowering frequency of risky behaviors.