Temporal Trends in HIV Risk Behaviors Among Out-of-Treatment Women Crack Users: The Need for Drug Treatment

SUMMARY This study examines the levels of and temporal trends in HIV-related characteristics among 169 women crack users recruited from South Philadelphia, PA over a two and one-half year period (January 1992-June 1994). Baseline data were collected as part of a five year, multi-site HIV intervention research project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The majority of the women were African American, had less than a high school education and were receiving public assistance. A high proportion of women continued to engage in high risk behaviors with no significant change over time. A seroprevalence rate of 7% was observed among the women who elected to take the project's confidential HIV antibody test (73%). Implications for the need for drug treatment and HIV risk reduction interventions are discussed.