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HIV Transmission Behaviors in Jail/Prison Among Puerto Rican Drug Injectors in New York and Puerto Rico

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This study examined HIV risk behavior in jail/prison among Puerto Rican drug injectors in New York (NY, n = 300) and Puerto Rico (PR, n = 200), and its relationship with later drug and sex risk behaviors. During 3 years prior to interview, 66% of NY and 43% of PR samples were incarcerated at least once. While incarcerated, 5% of NY and 53% of PR injected drugs. Few reported engaging in sex inside jail/prison (5% in both sites). Of those who engaged in risk behaviors in jail/prison, almost all reported having unprotected sex and sharing injection equipment. The impact of jail/prison risk behaviors on risk behaviors after release differed between the two sites: they were more related to subsequent sex risk behaviors in NY, and subsequent injection risk behaviors in PR. The findings indicate a need for effective drug treatment programs inside jail/prisons to reduce HIV-related risk behaviors among drug injectors during incarceration and after release.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported by Grant #R01DA10425 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd Street, New York, 10010, USA

    Sung-Yeon Kang PhD, Sherry Deren, Jonny Andia & Denise Oliver-Velez

  2. Centro de Estudios en Adiccion, Universidad Central Del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, USA

    Hector M. Colón & Rafaela Robles

  3. National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd Street, 8th Floor, New York, 10010, USA

    Sung-Yeon Kang PhD

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  1. Sung-Yeon Kang PhD
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Correspondence to Sung-Yeon Kang PhD.

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Kang, SY., Deren, S., Andia, J. et al. HIV Transmission Behaviors in Jail/Prison Among Puerto Rican Drug Injectors in New York and Puerto Rico. AIDS Behav 9, 377–386 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-005-9011-4

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