Alcohol Use in a Sample of Adolescents at High Risk for HIV.
G. J. Huba, L. A. Melchior, A. Hodgins, E. R. Woods, M. D. Kipke, R. Feudo, J. Lothrop, M. Wallace, M. Sturdevant, G. Remafedi, B. Greenberg, A. Tenner, B. Singer, R. Brady, & K. Marconi. HRSA SPNS Adolescent Grantees, 5811A Uplander Way, Culver City, CA 90230.

In 1993, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program funded a group of 10 3-year national demonstration projects targeting adolescents and youth for HIV/AIDS services. As part of a cross-cutting evaluation of these 10 projects, a Brief Natural History Interview (BNHI) was administered to project clients shortly after enrollment into services. The BNHI consisted of 15 sections, each focused on a specific topic, including demographic characteristics, substance use history, HIV risk behaviors, and service utilization history. Data from these interviews provide detailed information about the psychosocial characteristics and service needs of this group of young people (n=111 males, 115 females). The majority of youth who provided data about their substance use history reported lifetime alcohol use (87.3% of the males and 85.6% of the females), with 64% of the adolescent males and females reporting alcohol use in the past six months. The majority of youth also reported having used marijuana (73.3% of males, 66.7% of females), and approximately one male in three reported use of cocaine (32.0%) or amphetamines (32.0%). Alcohol use history did not differentiate youth by HIV status. A total of 20.4% of the males and 16.7% of the females had ever been in substance abuse treatment. In examining substance abuse treatment history with respect to HIV status, a greater percentage of youth currently in treatment were identified as HIV-positive (90.9%), compared to youth in treatment whose HIV status was unknown (45.5%, c ²=5.24, p<.03). Results from this cross-cutting evaluation suggest that youth living with HIV are more likely to have a history of prior or current substance use, and that alcohol use is extremely prevalent in this population. The present findings confirm that youth living with HIV face a number of barriers in obtaining services, and it is likely that comorbid issues of substance abuse may increase those barriers.

Related Information:

Evaluation and Dissemination Center: Innovative Models of Adolescent HIV/AIDS Care 1993-1998