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. 2021 May:124:108286.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108286. Epub 2021 Jan 9.

Sexual-risk reduction following the referral of syringe exchange registrants to methadone maintenance: Impact of gender and drug use

Michael Kidorf  1 , Robert K Brooner  2 , Haijuan Yan  2 , Jessica Peirce  2
Affiliations

Sexual-risk reduction following the referral of syringe exchange registrants to methadone maintenance: Impact of gender and drug use

Michael Kidorf et al. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2021 May.

Abstract

This study evaluates the impact of enrolling syringe exchange registrants in methadone maintenance on change in sexual-risk behaviors. Baltimore Needle Exchange Program (BNEP) registrants (n = 210) participated in a parent study evaluating strategies for initiating methadone maintenance treatment and the study followed them for six months. Study staff administered the Risk Assessment Battery (RAB; Metzger, 1993) monthly throughout treatment. Staff conducted urinalysis testing weekly. Results showed that treatment enrollment reduced sexual-risk behaviors at month 1, though a longer treatment duration provided no further reductions in risky behaviors. Women reported higher levels of sexual risk throughout the observation period, and the use of cocaine diminished risk-reduction benefits. These findings demonstrate that participation in methadone maintenance reduces sexual-risk behaviors in syringe exchange registrants. Efforts to help more patients reduce cocaine use, and to help women address gender-specific psychosocial vulnerabilities, may further reduce risky behaviors during the treatment episode.

Keywords: Methadone maintenance; Sexual risk reduction; Syringe exchange.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

No conflict declared.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Sexual-risk scores over time.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Impact of gender on sexual-risk scores over time.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Impact of cocaine use on sexual-risk scores over time.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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