Perceptions of women’s HIV risk and partner HIV risk behaviors in substance using women with criminal justice involvement

This article explores the perceptions of STI/HIV risk based on engagement in risk behaviors in a sample of women with substance use disorders and criminal justice involvement. We examined variables associated with higher risk of contracting STI/HIV: having more than one current sex partner, injecting drugs, and trading sex. We also examined risk variables associated with intimate relationships: whether a partner had ever been in prison, injected drugs, or shared needles. Findings reveal that certain high-risk behaviors influenced participant perceptions of HIV risk: having more than one current sex partner, having a partner who injected drugs, having a partner who had sex with a man, or having a partner who had been tested for HIV. Participants who were uncertain about whether a partner had engaged in risk behaviors had significantly higher worry and perceptions of HIV risk than participants who were certain of partners’ risk behaviors. The implications of these findings for tailoring effective interventions for high-risk women are addressed.