Author's School

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Author's Department/Program

Mathematics

Language

English (en)

Date of Award

January 2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Chair and Committee

Edward Spitznagel

Abstract

Women in the United States are becoming infected with HIV more quickly now than ever before; many of whom are at higher risk because of their substance use habits or that of their partners.: CDC, 2010) This study analyzes cross sectional data regarding the risk behaviors and addiction severity of a sample of women receiving treatment for substance use disorders: SUDs). The data was gathered between 2006 and 2010 at a women's substance use treatment center in St. Louis, Missouri: MO), the name of which cannot be disclosed. We develop a scale, the HIV Risk Scale: HRS), to quantify a woman's risk of contracting HIV at the time of presenting for rehabilitation based on self-reported sexual and drug behaviors. We then, using the seven interviewer-ratings of the Addiction Severity Index: ASI) as predictors of the HRS, examine the results of regression using two methods to adjust for missing data:: 1) case-wise deletion and: 2) multiple imputation. Results suggest that using several of the ASI, a tool already implemented in rehabilitation efforts, interventions can be tailored to address more closely all of the issues regarding the health and safety of substance abusing women seeking relief from addiction. Results show that specifically looking at the interviewer's assessment of how severely addiction impacts legal, drug-related, alcohol-related, employment-related and medical aspects of a woman's life may enable treatment centers to help her alleviate the HIV to which she maybe exposed.

Comments

Permanent URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.7936/K78050PK

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