Min Qi Wang, PhD¹, Joseph E Schumacher², Sacia Dear², and Foster Cook³. (1) Department of Public and Community Health, University of Maryland, CHHP, College Park, MD 20742, (301) 405-6652, qw11@umail.umd.edu, (2) University of Alabama at Birmingham, 401 Beacon Parkway W, Birmingham, AL 35209, (3) University of Alabama, 401 Beacon Parkway W, Birmingham, AK 35209

The present study examined the relationship between marijuana and crack/cocaine use and HIV risk behaviors in a sample of 182 African-American young people aged 15 to 24. It was hypothesized that young people who engaged in illicit drug use were more likely to engage in high risk sexual practices. The study was carried out as a part of a cross-sectional community outreach in Birmingham, Alabama between 2000 and 2002. Only drug users who reported marijuana or crack/cocaine during the past six months participated in this outreach survey. The survey instrument included questions about crack/cocaine and marijuana use, the number of sexual partners, use of condoms with main and other sexual partners, and drug use during sexual intercourse, etc. Descriptive statistics and chi square analyses were obtained. Current drug users (defined as drug use during the past 30 days) were more likely not to use condoms with either their main or other sex partners compared to ex-drug users (defined as non-drug use during past 30 days). Current male drug users were more likely not to use condoms with other sex partners while female drug users were more likely not use condoms with their main sex partners, p<.05. For the total sample, crack/cocaine users were more likely to report multiple sex partners than marijuana users, p<.05. The number of female crack/cocaine users who used drugs during sex with their other sex partners was more than double of the marijuana users, p<.05.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Identify the HIV risk behaviors among African-American young drug users.
• 2. Identify the differences of HIV risk behaviors when young drug users were in a relationship with their main and other sex partners.
• 3. Articulate the implications for intervention and prevention research which are suggested by the study findings.

Keywords: Drug Use, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.