Sex Risk Behavior Among Adolescent and Young Adult Children of Opiate Addicts: Outcomes From the Focus on Families Prevention Trial and an Examination of Childhood and Concurrent Predictors of Sex Risk Behavior.

Prev Sci. 2013 Feb 13;
Skinner ML, Fleming CB, Haggerty KP, Catalano RF

This study reports on rates and predictors of sex risk behavior among a sample of adolescent and young adult children of parents enrolled in methadone treatment for opiate addiction. Data are from 151 participants (80 males, 71 females) in the Focus on Families (FOF) project, a randomized trial of a family intervention and a study of the development of at-risk children. The study participants are children of parents enrolled in methadone treatment between 1990 and 1993. Participants were interviewed in 2005 when they ranged in age from 15 to 29 years. In the year prior to the follow-up, 79 % of the males and 83 % of females were sexually active, 26 % of males and 10 % of females had more than one partner in the prior year, and 34 % of males and 24 % of females reported having sex outside of a committed relationship. Twenty-four percent of males and 17 % of females met criteria for high-risk sexual behavior, reporting casual or multiple partners in the prior year and inconsistent condom use. Participants in the intervention and control conditions did not differ significantly in terms of any measure of sex risk behavior examined. None of the measures of parent behavior and family processes derived from data at baseline of the FOF study predicted whether participants engaged in high-risk sex. Among measures derived from data collected at long-term follow-up, however, having ever met criteria for substance abuse or dependence predicted greater likelihood of high-risk sexual behavior, and being married or being in a romantic relationship was associated with lower likelihood of high-risk sexual behavior. The findings point to the important role of committed relationships in regulating sex risk behavior among this population, as well as heightened levels of sex risk behavior associated with substance abuse or dependence.
HubMed – Methadone

High prevalence but low awareness of hepatitis C virus infection among heroin users who received methadone maintenance therapy in Taiwan.

Addict Behav. 2013 Jan 17; 38(4): 2089-2093
Ng MH, Chou JY, Chang TJ, Lee PC, Shao WC, Lin TY, Chen VC, Gossop M

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the prevalence and correlates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among heroin dependent individuals who received methadone maintenance therapy in Taiwan. Also, we investigate users’ awareness of HCV. METHODS: Participants were 773 heroin users entering the methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program at Tsaotun Psychiatric Center in Taiwan. The presence of HCV antibodies was detected. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the relationship between HCV infection and correlates. RESULTS: The prevalence of HCV infection was 90.8%. All participants who were HIV-positive were also infected with HCV. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the route of heroin administration (injection), HIV-infection, and criminal records were significantly related to HCV infection. Few (34.8%) HCV positive heroin users were aware of their infection. CONCLUSION: An extremely high prevalence of HCV infection but low awareness of their infection status was found among MMT patients in Taiwan. These findings highlight the importance of education regarding risky behaviors and the necessity for HCV treatment for this population in Taiwan.
HubMed – Methadone

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