Ethnicity, social networks and HIV risk in older drug users

This paper compares older drug users' exposure to HIV infection or to infecting others with the HIV virus to that of their younger counterparts and addresses the extent to which their personal networks, and the macro-networks within which they use drugs, play a role in risk exposure or prevention. We first consider the changing epidemiology of HIV with respect to older adults. Next we utilize two separate but related sets of data to determine if older drug users are at greater risk than their younger counterparts for drug and sex related HIV risk and also whether or not their knowledge base is sufficiently adequate to enable them to make appropriate decisions about HIV related risk avoidance. We then examine the role of social networks in enhancing or reducing risk of HIV infection in older and younger drug users. Finally we consider the position of both sero-positive and sero-negative older drug users in macro-networks of drug users and whether or not their positions increase or reduce their risk of exposure.