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Background: Substance use has been identified as one of the leading factors related to HIV transmission in the United States. The association of problematic drinking with sexual risk behavior puts individuals at greater risk for HIV transmission. This may be of particular concern for women given that approximately 66% of new HIV infections occurring through heterosexual transmission are female. Objectives: To investigate alcohol use severity and sexual risk behavior among females who use heavy, illicit drugs. Methods: Female substances users (N = 251; Mage = 31.90, SD = 7.67; 63.7% Black) self-reported past month alcohol use and lifetime sexual risk behaviors with both casual and steady sex partners. Results: Problematic alcohol users were more likely to use noninjection drugs and less likely to use injection drugs than abstainers and more likely than moderate alcohol users to use alcohol before/during sex with a steady partner. White problematic alcohol users were less likely to use injection drugs before/during sex with a steady partner than abstainers. Black problematic alcohol users were more likely to use non-injection and alcohol than moderate alcohol users before/during sex with steady partners. Conclusions: The current study extends the existing literature by taking a closer look at the role of alcohol use severity in sexual risk taking behavior of Black and White female substance users, a particularly vulnerable group for HIV transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies on associations between body weight status and specific substance use have provided conflicting findings. Objectives: This paper investigated the association between substance use and body weight status among African American women. Methods: We analyzed the data from 328 African American women who were enrolled in a HIV prevention intervention in Baltimore, MD, USA, in order to investigate the association between substance use and their body weight status. Participants' anthropometry was measured by trained research staff. Substance use information was collected via self-administered and interviewer-administered questionnaires. Results: About 33.4% were classified as normal/underweight, 24.2% overweight, and 42.4% obese. Compared to overweight (38.5%) and obese (29.2%) participants, the normal/underweight women had significantly higher prevalence of drug use (52.8%) (χ2= 14.11, p < 0.05). BMI was significantly negatively associated with current heroin use (t = −2.21, p < 0.05). The risk of being overweight and obesity was lower among active marijuana (z = −2.05, p < 0.05) and heroin users (z = −1.91, p < 0.10) than among non-marijuana/non-heroin users. Heroin smokers had lower body weight (t = −3.02, p < 0.05) and BMI (t = −2.47, p < 0.05) than non-heroin smokers. The decrease in BMI appeared to be greater among more frequent (≥once/day) heroin users (t = −2.39, p <0.05) as compared to the less frequent heroin users (

Background: Recent studies have reported high rates ofTrichomonas vaginalisamong middle age and older adults. Though trichomoniasis risk factors in this age cohort remain largely unknown, illicit drug use has been associated with increased incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The number of mid-older adults using illicit drugs has increased significantly in recent years suggesting the need to understand the relationship between drug use and STIs in this age cohort.Objectives: This study examined the relationship between drug use, sexual-risk behaviors, and biologically confirmedT. vaginalisin a sample of mid-older and younger adults who reported recent drug use.Methods: The cross-sectional design examined the relationship between past 6-month drug use, sexual risk-behaviors, and PCR-confirmedT. vaginalisin 264 adults age 18–64 who were recruited from Baltimore, Maryland. These relationships were also explored in the age-stratified sample among those 18–44 years (“younger”) and individuals 45+ years (“mid-older”).Results: Trichomoniasis prevalence did not differ significantly between younger (18.8%) and mid-older (19.1%) adults. Mid-older adults that tested positive forT. vaginaliswere more likely to have used marijuana and crack in the past 6 months. Among younger adults, there were no associations between trichomoniasis and past 6-month drug use and sexual-risk behavior.Conclusions/Importance: Age- and drug-related immune decline is hypothesized to contribute to increase susceptibility toT. vaginalisin mid-older adults. Broad screening for trichomoniasis, particularly among older adults who are often not regarded as at risk for STIs, is needed to control this often asymptomatic infection. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The current study examined the cumulative risk, age of initiation, and functional impairments among adults with substance use problems ( N = 1748) by child abuse status. Child abuse was associated with earlier initiation of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin use, and had greater risks for all the drugs studied (hazard ratios, 1.7-3.2). Furthermore, child abuse was associated with increased medical and functional impairments, including ER visits, health problems, drug dealing, drug dependence, and drug cravings. Provision of social services and parenting education during the perinatal period may prevent the long-term impact of child abuse on substance use and related impairments. The study's limitations are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]