Puerto Rican youth in drug treatment facilities: who volunteers for HIV testing?

HIV antibody testing was offered on a voluntary basis to 250 Puerto Rican youths of mean age 16 years enrolled in 3 ambulatory drug treatment centers in or near the Greater San Juan Metropolitan Area in 1991. 66% decided to be tested. 55% of the boys no longer attended school and 80% had no more than a 9th grade education. The mean age at first intercourse was 13.5 years while 24 reported being virgin. Those sexually active reported having an average of 3 sex partners over the past year while almost 20% reported having 4 or more. Approximately 10% reported having had at least 1 sex partner who used drugs such as cocaine crack or marijuana while none reported a partner who used IV drugs. Males who volunteered to be tested reported fewer years of education and were more likely to have dropped out of school. The adolescents at greater risk of HIV infection as measured by drug use and sex behavior were more likely to volunteer for the testing and higher rates of alcohol and marijuana use differentiated volunteers from those who did not. Among the sex behaviors investigated number of partners engaging in fewer risk reduction practices having a sex partner who had used illicit drugs and using condoms to avoid sexually transmitted diseases were significantly higher among volunteers.