Drug users' AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors before and after AIDS education sessions

The investigators interviewed 100 drug users in a detoxification facility before and after they received information about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The drug users already had a considerable amount of information about AIDS and HIV transmission modes before they received the information. However, 79 percent of them reported never having used condoms. Fifty percent of intravenous drug users acknowledged having shared needles during the previous year. Subjects exhibited psychological denial in appraising the riskiness of their personal sexual and needle-sharing behaviors, which they rated as less risky than those activities in general. Following their participation in an AIDS and HIV education program, their knowledge concerning modes of transmission and disease progression increased. Subjects became more aware of their personal risk for HIV infection, and their faith in condom effectiveness and their intent to use them increased. Intravenous drug users reported increased determination to stop their drug use. The results suggest that AIDS education efforts can be useful in programs to help prevent HIV transmission among drug users.