Document 0409
 DOCN  M9650409
 TI    Alcohol-related risk factors associated with HIV infection among
       patients entering alcoholism treatment: implications for prevention.
 DT    9605
 AU    Boscarino JA; Avins AL; Woods WJ; Lindan CP; Hudes ES; Clark W; Center
       for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San; Francisco
       94105, USA.
 SO    J Stud Alcohol. 1995 Nov;56(6):642-53. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96130453
 AB    OBJECTIVE: Reports suggest that alcoholics may be at risk for HIV
       infection. In this article we examine several alcohol-related risk
       factors for HIV infection among patients entering alcoholism treatment
       in an AIDS epicenter. Our objective was to identify key factors for HIV
       prevention and screening among populations receiving treatment for
       alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. METHOD: Clients (N = 921) entering
       five alcoholism treatment centers in the San Francisco Bay area
       underwent an interview and blind serotesting for HIV antibodies (76%
       were male, 16% men who had sex with men, 50% black, 10% Latinos and 6.5%
       were HIV seropositive). Logistic regression was used to predict HIV
       serostatus from five possible alcohol-associated risk factors,
       controlling for demographics and traditional HIV risk factors. These
       were alcohol impairment, attitudes about socializing in bars, increased
       sexual risk expectancies when drinking, enhanced sexual expectancies
       when drinking and decreased nervousness when drinking. Male and female
       heterosexuals and men with a history of homosexuality were analyzed
       separately. RESULTS: Among male and female heterosexuals, HIV infection
       was positively associated with higher alcohol impairment (OR = 2.69, p =
       .031) and negatively associated with higher sexual risk expectancies
       when drinking (OR = 0.24, p = .075). Among men who had sex with men, HIV
       infection was positively associated with higher bar socializing
       orientations (OR = 10.06, p = .004). Infection was also negatively
       associated with higher alcohol impairment (OR = 0.34, p = .052) and
       higher sexual risk expectancies when drinking (OR = 0.26, p = .024) for
       these men. CONCLUSIONS: Since these associations were independent of
       demographics and traditional HIV risk factors, our research suggests it
       may be important to also focus HIV screening and prevention on
       alcohol-related risk factors in AIDS epicenters. For heterosexual
       alcoholics, the focus should be on those with higher alcohol dependence.
       For male alcoholics who had sex with men, the focus should be on those
       who primarily socialize in bars. Further research is needed to determine
       why higher sexual risk perceptions when drinking were associated with
       lower rates of HIV infection for both groups, since this discovery may
       have important prevention implications. The negative association between
       infection and alcohol impairment among homosexual men also warrants
       further investigation.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  Alcohol Drinking/ADVERSE EFFECTS
       Alcoholism/*REHABILITATION  Female  Homosexuality, Male/PSYCHOLOGY
       Human  HIV Infections/*PREVENTION & CONTROL/TRANSMISSION  Knowledge,
       Attitudes, Practice  Male  Mass Screening  Middle Age  *Patient
       Admission  Risk Factors  San Francisco  Sex Behavior/DRUG EFFECTS
       Social Environment  Substance Abuse Treatment Centers  Support, U.S.
       Gov't, P.H.S.  *Urban Population  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).