Adding HIV Risk Reduction Strategies To Drug Abuse Treatment Has Favorable Outcomes For Pregnant Women At Risk Of Infection
By, Medical News Today, May 14, 2007
Six months after completing an addiction program with an HIV risk-reduction component, 69 HIV-negative, inner-city, pregnant women demonstrated significant increases in favorable attitudes toward condom use as well as factual knowledge about HIV and a significant decrease in the number of sexual partners.
Background: Sexually transmitted HIV infection is rapidly increasing among reproductive-age, noninjection substance abusing women. Data show that 4.3 percent of pregnant women admit using illicit drugs during pregnancy. The period of pregnancy and the early postpartum period represent a window of opportunity for intervening with pregnant women at risk for HIV. Few studies have addressed women's motivation or their ability to employ key behavioral skills for HIV risk reduction during pregnancy.
Study Design: The researchers recruited 81 inner-city minority women receiving alcohol and nonmethadone drug use treatment in a hospital-based addiction program through the pregnancy and postpartum period. Scientists added a foursession cognitive-behavioral skills, HIV prevention training to their intervention plan, and conducted follow-up assessments 6 months later to identify behavioral changes in these women.
What They Found: Among the 69 women who participated in the 6-month follow-up, scientists observed significant increases in favorable attitudes toward condom use and factual knowledge about HIV, and decreases in the number of partners. However, there were no significant differences in response efficacy, intentions to engage in safer sex behaviors, sexual self-efficacy, or alcohol or drug use.
Comments From The Authors: This is perhaps the first prospective evaluation of the determinants of change with regard to HIV-related, high-risk behavior for pregnant alcohol or other drug users in treatment. This information can be very useful in guiding the development of target interventions for this disempowered group of pregnant women.
What's Next: A "one size fits all" approach to HIV prevention among women will not be sufficient. Future studies with larger sample sizes need to address the heterogeneity of women in target populations.
Publication: Dr. Robert Malow of Florida International University and his colleagues published this study in Vol. 41, No. 13, of Substance Use and Misuse.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics are available in English and Spanish.
These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at www.drugabuse.gov.
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=70861&nfid=rssfeeds
Six months after completing an addiction program with an HIV risk-reduction component, 69 HIV-negative, inner-city, pregnant women demonstrated significant increases in favorable attitudes toward condom use as well as factual knowledge about HIV and a significant decrease in the number of sexual partners.
Background: Sexually transmitted HIV infection is rapidly increasing among reproductive-age, noninjection substance abusing women. Data show that 4.3 percent of pregnant women admit using illicit drugs during pregnancy. The period of pregnancy and the early postpartum period represent a window of opportunity for intervening with pregnant women at risk for HIV. Few studies have addressed women's motivation or their ability to employ key behavioral skills for HIV risk reduction during pregnancy.
Study Design: The researchers recruited 81 inner-city minority women receiving alcohol and nonmethadone drug use treatment in a hospital-based addiction program through the pregnancy and postpartum period. Scientists added a foursession cognitive-behavioral skills, HIV prevention training to their intervention plan, and conducted follow-up assessments 6 months later to identify behavioral changes in these women.
What They Found: Among the 69 women who participated in the 6-month follow-up, scientists observed significant increases in favorable attitudes toward condom use and factual knowledge about HIV, and decreases in the number of partners. However, there were no significant differences in response efficacy, intentions to engage in safer sex behaviors, sexual self-efficacy, or alcohol or drug use.
Comments From The Authors: This is perhaps the first prospective evaluation of the determinants of change with regard to HIV-related, high-risk behavior for pregnant alcohol or other drug users in treatment. This information can be very useful in guiding the development of target interventions for this disempowered group of pregnant women.
What's Next: A "one size fits all" approach to HIV prevention among women will not be sufficient. Future studies with larger sample sizes need to address the heterogeneity of women in target populations.
Publication: Dr. Robert Malow of Florida International University and his colleagues published this study in Vol. 41, No. 13, of Substance Use and Misuse.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics are available in English and Spanish.
These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at www.drugabuse.gov.
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=70861&nfid=rssfeeds
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