Characteristics of Female Sexual Partners of Injection Drug Users in Southern Arizona: Implications for Effective HIV Risk Reduction Interventions

SUMMARY Epidemiological data suggest that women who are sexual partners of injection drug users (IDUs) are at increasing risk for HIV (CDC, 1992). This study describes characteristics of 180 female sexual partners (FSPs) living in southern Arizona. These characteristics include ethnicity, age, income source, living arrangement, sexual risk behavior, reasons for sexual risk, and knowledge of AIDS risk and transmission. Data from this study indicate that FSPs vary a great deal on all of these characteristics and thus a single “profile” of FSPs is difficult to conceptualize. Implications of the data suggest that effective interventions for HIV risk reduction for FSPs should be personalized to fit the specific characteristics and needs of the individual.