Abstract
This study examined the relationship among cocaine use, psychiatric distress, and HIV risk behaviors of homeless men. A 3 x 2 ANOVA was computed to determine overall mean HIV risk behavior, with the first factor representing three levels of psychiatric distress (low, moderate, and high) and the second factor representing use or no use of cocaine. Overall, homeless men who used cocaine had significantly higher HIV risk scores than did noncocaine users. Among the homeless men who used cocaine, those men who reported high psychiatric distress had significantly higher HIV risk scores than did noncocaine users and cocaine users with low psychiatric distress. Moreover, these risk scores predominantly represented three high risk sexual behaviors: lack of condom use, multiple sex partners, and participation in commercial sex. Outreach efforts that target both substantial use and especially high-risk sexual practices are urged for this population.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 287-292 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Addictive Behaviors |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1997 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse grants awarded to the Center for the Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center. We would like to thank Greg T. Golden, Mary Jean Groesbeck, and Herb Bailey from the Coatesville Veterans Hospital for providing support for this project, and A. Thomas McClellan for comments on the manuscript. Requests for reprints should be sent to David A. Zanis, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Building 7, Mail Code 116-D. University and Woodland Avenues, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Clinical Psychology
- Toxicology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
