322616
Decreasing injection drug use among sex workers and criminal justice involved women
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
: 5:10 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Sara-Ann Steber, Ph.D.,
Dept. of Psychiatry Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania, Wyomissing, PA
Domenica Personti, LCDP, MMHC, ICADC, ICCDP-D, CAMF, CPS,
Brandywine Counseling and Community Services, Inc., Wilmington, DE
Background: Women in Support of Health (WISH) utilizes evidence-based practices and gender responsive services that meet the unique health needs of criminal justice involved women who engage in sex work, and other women at high risk for HIV due to substance use. WISH enhances and expands Prevention and Engagement Outreach; facilitates access into medical and behavioral health care; provides Trauma Specific Treatment; and increases a participant’s ability to self-advocate for needed health care. Methods: A quasi-experimental comparison group study was undertaken utilizing a Pretest (Intake) Posttest (6-months after intake) design. The study assessed the effectiveness of WISH in decreasing identified substance use and/or high risk sexual behaviors among participants as compared to a similar group of at-risk women who received substance abuse treatment as usual (TAU). Participants were recruited through outreach among sex workers, through a specialized Court program (Trauma Informed Probation) that was initiated specifically to respond to the needs of sex workers and through collaborating organizations and referral sources. Results: For the Intervention group, there was a statistically significant decrease in injection drug use from intake to follow-up, X2 (1, n = 551) = 15.32, p<.001. For the Comparison group, there was no statistically significant change in injection drug use from intake to follow-up, X2 (1, n = 236) = 1.39, p=.24. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to compare Intake versus 6 Month data for alcohol use, illegal substance use, and cigarette use. Statistically significant decreases in means for illegal substance use were found from intake to follow-up for both the Intervention and Comparison group, with the Intervention group having a greater difference in means both in terms of magnitude and significance level. Conclusions: The gender responsive interventions utilized in the WISH program significantly reduced injection drug use among a population of women at high risk of HIV.
Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Learning Objectives:
describe community outreach strategies to reduce injection drug use among sex workers and criminal justice involved women.
identify substance use prevention approaches that reduce risk and increase protective factors among sex workers and criminal justice involved women.
Keyword(s): Drug Abuse, HIV Risk Behavior
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the evaluator of the program that is the subject of this presentation. I have served as the Principal Investigator and/or Co Investigator on multiple federal grants focused on substance use and mental health disorders as well as those on HIV prevention. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies to reduce injection drug use among adults at high risk for HIV and Hepatitis.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
