Abstract
This article explores the perceptions of STI/HIV risk based on engagement in risk behaviors in a sample of women with substance use disorders and criminal justice involvement. We examined variables associated with higher risk of contracting STI/HIV: having more than one current sex partner, injecting drugs, and trading sex. We also examined risk variables associated with intimate relationships: whether a partner had ever been in prison, injected drugs, or shared needles. Findings reveal that certain high-risk behaviors influenced participant perceptions of HIV risk: having more than one current sex partner, having a partner who injected drugs, having a partner who had sex with a man, or having a partner who had been tested for HIV. Participants who were uncertain about whether a partner had engaged in risk behaviors had significantly higher worry and perceptions of HIV risk than participants who were certain of partners’ risk behaviors. The implications of these findings for tailoring effective interventions for high-risk women are addressed.
Highlights
This article explores the perceptions of sexually transmitted infections (STI)/HIV risk based on engagement in risk behaviors in a sample of women with substance use disorders and criminal justice involvement
The goal of the present study is to examine HIV risk behaviors in one group of women with characteristics associated with increased HIV risk: those with substance use disorders [1,2] within communities of color [3], having high rates of sexual abuse [4], and histories of incarceration [5]
We examined the prevalence of engaging in HIV risk behaviors in our sample, such as trading sex and injecting drugs
Summary
This article explores the perceptions of STI/HIV risk based on engagement in risk behaviors in a sample of women with substance use disorders and criminal justice involvement. Participants who were uncertain about whether a partner had engaged in risk behaviors had significantly higher worry and perceptions of HIV risk than participants who were certain of partners’ risk behaviors The implications of these findings for tailoring effective interventions for high-risk women are addressed. The goal of the present study is to examine HIV risk behaviors in one group of women with characteristics associated with increased HIV risk: those with substance use disorders [1,2] within communities of color [3], having high rates of sexual abuse [4], and histories of incarceration [5]. Fear of physical and financial retribution, compounded by the unequal power balance inherent in these relationships, may prevent women from behaving assertively and insisting on condom use [12], leading to HIV/STI risk
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