The Contribution of Male and Female Partners' Substance Use to Sexual Risks and STDs Among African American HIV Serodiscordant Couples

AIDS Behav (2010) 14:1045–1054 DOI 10.1007/s10461-010-9695-y ORIGINAL PAPER The Contribution of Male and Female Partners’ Substance Use to Sexual Risks and STDs Among African American HIV Serodiscordant Couples The NIMH Multisite HIV/STD Prevention Trial for African American Couples Group Published online: 25 May 2010 O Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010 Abstract Growing evidence suggests that drug and alcohol use are fueling the heterosexual transmission of HIV among African Americans. This study aims to examine the relative contribution of drug and alcohol use of male and female partners to risks of heterosexual transmission of HIV among 535 African American HIV serodiscordant couples (N = 1,070 participants) who par- ticipated in an HIV prevention trial. Associations found between use of drugs and alcohol by one or both partners and sexual risk indicators varied by type of substance and whether male or female partner or both partners reported use. The findings suggest multiple ways in which substance use of male and female partners may be contributing to the heterosexual transmission of HIV and other STDs among African Americans and underscore the need for HIV pre- vention strategies to address dyadic patterns of substance use that lead to sexual risks. The NIMH Multisite HIV/STD Prevention Trial for African American Couples Study Group Facilitators Jeffery Brently, MSW - Columbia Rebecca D. Cheraquit, MSSW - Columbia Deborah Gray - Columbia Linda Hakim - Columbia Bright Sarfo - Columbia Kijana Saunders - Columbia Dawn Simmons, MSW - Columbia Keisha Wilson, MSW - Columbia Nikia D. Braxton, MPH - Emory Christina Camp, PhD - Emory Anita Conner, MPH - Emory Jevon Gibson - Emory Alvin Harmon, PhD - Emory Teaniese Latham, MPH - Emory Tiffany Pennick-Walters, MPH - Emory Kenneth Rucker - Emory Shammara Steinback, MPH - Emory Phillip Williams - Emory Richard Williams, PhD - Emory Shauni Williams - Emory Kevin Chancy, PsyD - UCLA Frank Levels - UCLA Nathaniel Thomas, PhD - UCLA Reginald Bennett, MS - Penn Shirley Bryson, MSW - Penn Salema Curtis, MPH - Penn Michelle Jones, MS - Penn Phyllis Jones, MSW - Penn Malachi Moore, MS - Penn Charles Patterson, MA - Penn Marcia Penn, MS - Penn Alicia Samuel, M.Ed. - Penn Steering Committee Nabila El-Bassel, DSW (PI) - Columbia Gina Wingood, ScD, MPH (PI) - Emory Gail E. Wyatt, PhD (PI) - UCLA John B. Jemmott, III, PhD (PI) - Penn Willo Pequegnat, PhD - NIMH J. Richard Landis, PhD (PI) - DCC Co-Investigators Scarlett Bellamy, ScD - DCC Louisa Gilbert, PhD Candidate - Columbia Robert H. Remien, PhD - Columbia Susan Witte, PhD - Columbia Elwin Wu, PhD - Columbia Ralph DiClemente, PhD - Emory Hector Myers, PhD - UCLA Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD, RN, FAAN - Penn David Metzger, PhD - Penn Data Coordinating Center (DCC - Penn) Shawn Ballard, MS Trina Brown Quincy Greene Christopher Helker, RN, MSPH Nancy Robinson, PhD Lynne Allen-Taylor, PhD Dina Appleby, MS Evelyn Crowley, PhD Project Directors Angela Ankoma MSSW, MPH - Columbia Deidre Ashton, MSSW - Columbia Dawn A. Goddard, MSS - Columbia Tamu Daniel, MPH - Emory Tina Henderson, PhD - UCLA Inna Rivkin, PhD - UCLA Cynthia M. Green, MA - Penn