Consistent condom use among drug-using youth in a high HIV-risk neighbourhood.

Abstract The objectives of this study were to determine predictors of consistent condom use in heterosexual relationships of young adults who use hard drugs in a neigbourhood with widespread drug-use-connected HIV. We interviewed 196 18–24 year olds who injected drugs or used heroin, cocaine or crack in the prior year and lived in the Bushwick neighbourhood of New York City.Interviews covered sociodemographics, substance use and sexual networks. The unit of analysis is the relationship; the dependent variable measures consistent condom use over the prior 30 days in a given relationship. Consistent condom use was reported in 26% of 377 non-commercial relationships and in all of 22 commercial relationships. Using multiple logistic regression, consistent condom use in non-commercial relationships was more likely in relationships that are not ‘very close’; for men (but not women) with peers whose norms are more favourable to condom use; and for subjects who had concurrent sex partners in the last 12 months. I...