Correlates of Anal Intercourse Vary by Partner Type Among Substance-Using Women: Baseline Data from the UNITY Study

• Published in: AIDS and behavior Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 132 - 140
• Main Authors: Koblin, Beryl A., Hoover, Donald R., Xu, Guozhen, Frye, Victoria, Latka, Mary H., Lucy, Debbie, Bonner, Sebastian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.02.2010; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Age; Age Factors; AIDS; Birth Control; Cocaine; Condoms; Depression (Psychology); Disease control; Disease prevention; Domestic violence; Drug use; Family Violence; Female; Females; Health Psychology; Heroin; Heterosexuality; Heterosexuality - statistics & numerical data; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Incidence; Infections; Infectious Diseases; Intervention; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Paper; Prevalence; Public Health; Risk; Risk Factors; Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data; Sexual Intercourse; Sexual Partners; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Substance use; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Vaccines; Vagina; Womens health; Young Adult; New York; United States > US; Women; Substance use; HIV; Anal intercourse
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-008-9440-y

Data are limited about anal intercourse among women at risk of HIV infection. HIV-negative non-injection drug using women at sexual risk (N = 404) were recruited. At baseline, 41.7% reported anal intercourse in the prior 3 months; of these, 88.2% reported unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). Factors associated with UAI varied by partner type: UAI with a steady partner was associated with younger age, depressive symptoms, and experience of battering; UAI with casual partners was associated with younger age, cocaine use and negative outcome expectancies for condom use; UAI with exchange partners was associated with cocaine use, negative outcome expectancies for condom use and depressive symptoms. Younger women were more likely to report unprotected anal intercourse if they did not use birth control. Specific counseling messages are needed to identify and address this risk and associated factors, including partner relationships, substance use, birth control, mental health issues and domestic violence.