AIDS education for drug abusers: evaluation of short-term effectiveness

Abstract

Background: Interventions are needed to assist drug abusers in reducing risky drug and sexual behavior.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial compared three small-group AIDS educational interventions among 567 clients of a 21-day inpatient drug detoxification program: a two-session informational intervention, given either during the first (early) or second (late) week of treatment; and a six-session enhanced intervention. Changes in knowledge, attitudes, and psychomotor skills were assessed before and after each intervention, and behavioral outcomes were assessed at follow-up 10 to 18 weeks after admission.

Results: Immediately after the interventions, enhanced group members reported significantly greater self-efficacy to talk themselves out of AIDS-risky behavior; other knowledge and attitude scales did not differ by intervention. At follow-up, significant reductions in risky drug use were reported by all groups. Enhanced group members reported significantly greater reduction in injection frequency than did late informational subjects.

Conclusions: No beneficial effect was detected of delaying AIDS education for clients entering detoxification. At this early stage of follow-up, there is only weak evidence that an enhanced intervention improved outcomes.