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HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors

HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors. CT AIDS Resource Coalition and CIRA Community Research Partnership Program. HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors.

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HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors

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  1. HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors CT AIDS Resource Coalition and CIRA Community Research Partnership Program

  2. HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors In collaboration with CIRA scientist Kim Blankenship, staff from the Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition (CARC) administered a survey to 150 PWHA living in supportive housing in Connecticut. There is a high need for sexual risk reduction counseling, especially for women and as it relates to primary partners.

  3. HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors Sexual Behaviors • Over half (54%) reported having sex in the last six months. • Most sexual activity (81%) occurred with a primary partner; but 10% of respondents reported exchanging sex for money. • When engaging in vaginal or anal intercourse with a primary partner, 70% of the participants reported using a condom. • Condom rates higher with partners who the participants did not consider to be primary partners. • Among the sexually active participants who reported a non-primary partner (28%), 92% reported using condoms during vaginal intercourse and 100% reported using condoms during anal intercourse. • Women were more likely to have exchanged sex in the last six months and less likely to use a condom with their main partner

  4. HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors Residents in supportive housing are using drugs, indicating a need for harm reduction programming in these environments.

  5. HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors Substance Use • 31% reported using illicit drugs and 34% reported drinking alcohol in the last six months. • Among the 31% who reported illicit drug use, 63% used marijuana, 62% used crack, 48% used powder cocaine and 36% used heroin. • Needle sharing was low (4%) among the 12% who reported injecting drugs in the last six months. • Three-quarters of the participants (75%) had participated in drug or alcohol treatment, primarily AA/NA groups, in the last six months.

  6. HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors Housing is Healthcare • In the last 6 months, 95% of respondents reported receiving some kind of mental health counseling • 90% reported receiving a physical exam, visiting their physicians’ office, on average, 5.8 times during this time period, and less than 1% reported being to a hospital emergency room. • Nearly all the respondents reported high levels of HIV medication adherence: only 4% reported ever skipping a pill or taking a pill late in the last 6 months.

  7. HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors Supportive housing works! • Over 90% of the participants reported that their housing case manager had provided them with information about medical adherence and helped them with medical and social service referrals in the last six months. • 74% of the respondents reported that their health had improved since moving into supportive housing.

  8. HIV/AIDS, Housing and Risk Behaviors Thanks to Kim Blankenship & Amy Smoyer of CIRA for their support, guidance and assistance; and to Chris Kelly, formerly of CARC for all of his hard work. For more information contact: Shawn M. Lang, Director of Public Policy CT AIDS Resource Coalition 860.761.6699 shawn@ctaidscoalition.org

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