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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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