Can street-based injection drug users change behavior?
OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of street outreach, HIV testing and counseling on HIV risk behaviors in a street-based population of African-American injection drug users (IDUs) in San Francisco. METHODS: We reviewed interview data from 151 African-American IDUs who were administered a standard questionnaire by trained interviewers at baseline and at six-eight month follow-up. All received street outreach and 92% received HIV testing and counseling. Recruitment took place between April and July 1989 with follow-up occurring between December 1989 and March 1990. RESULTS: The proportion of IDUs reporting injection of cocaine, heroin, and a heroin and cocaine mix (speedball) declined by 51%, 28%, and 43%, respectively (p = .0001). Twenty six percent (p = .009) reduced the frequency of borrowing used needles; 30% (p = .04) reduced frequency of sharing used needles with their sex partners; 32% (p = .06) increased regularity of cleaning their needles with bleach. Finally, 46% of IDUs with
