Effects of an intervention program on AIDS-related drug and needle behavior among intravenous drug users

Behaviors which entail high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among intravenous drug users can be significantly reduced through educational intervention. The educational intervention was conducted by a health educator in a one-on-one format and provided information about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and strategies for reducing the risk of infection. Risk was assessed prior to the intervention and was compared to a follow-up assessment obtained approximately three months later (n = 322). The percentage who reported using drugs intravenously decreased from 92.2 to 70.5, and the percentage who reported sharing syringes dropped from 67.4 to 24.3. Reductions of these and other high-risk behaviors were detected across various demographic subgroups, and analyses show that the impact of the intervention endured for several months. The findings suggest that intravenous drug users conform to a model of rational choice when confronted with accurate information about the devastating consequences of HIV infection.