Seattle was one of the 5 sites that participated in a CDC-funded randomized controlled trial of a behavioral intervention to reduce HIV and HCV risk behaviors in young IDU. Hanne Theide of Public Health Seattle & King County led the Seattle component of the multi-site national study.
The results of the Drug Users Intervention Trial ("DUIT") are published in the September issue of the journal AIDS. The DUIT behavioral intervention -- a small-group cognitive behavioral intervention to teach young IDU peer education -- was found to reduce drug injection risk behaviors but not sexual risk behaviors. The study demonstrated that interventions providing information, enhancing risk-reduction skills, and motivating behavior change through peer education training can reduce injection risk behaviors, although risk elimination might be necessary to prevent HCV transmission.
