Do methadone treatment clients change their HIV risk behaviors?
OBJECTIVE: To compare HIV risk behavior change among IDUs who were seropositive (SP) at baseline, seronegative (SN) throughout and seroconverted (SC) during a prospective study of methadone treatment clinics. METHODS: 12-month follow-up data on 562 clients were used to compare the rates of drug injection, needle sharing and unprotected sex with steady partners. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the relative rates of behaviors after controlling for age, race, sex, drug treatment program, and behavior at baseline. RESULTS: SPs at baseline had the highest injection rates (86.4%). Nonetheless, SPs and SCs continued to have higher injection rates than SNs at 12 months (Odds ratio (OR) = 1.6, 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.6). Needle sharing rates were similar at baseline as well as at the 12th month follow-up. Baseline SPs had lower rates of unprotected sex (30.3%) than SCs and SNs at baseline (63.0% and 61.5%; t = 6.7, p < .001). Although at 12 months, all SPs and SCs had significant
