Drug Use and Risks for HIV/AIDS Among Indigent Women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

SUMMARY The PROVIVA project (Projeto Venha Informar-sesobre o Virus da AIDS), funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and administered by the University of Miami School of Medicine, was established in 1993 for the purpose of developing and implementing a community-wide HIV/AIDS prevention effort in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Recruitment began in mid-1994 and the specific target groups included cocaine-using women and men in Rio's favelas (shantytowns) and “red light” districts. Study participants were obtained through standard chain referral and targeted sampling techniques, and through May 31, 1997 over 1,500 were enrolled in the project. This analysis focuses on the first 339 women recruited. The women ranged in age from 18 to 62, with a median of 29 years. The majority were either black or multi-racial (morena, parda, mulata, cafe com leite, and other multi-racial designations), and almost all were of low socio-economic status. The HIV risk behaviors engaged in by these women during the 30-day peri...