Targeted expansion project for outreach and treatment for substance abuse and HIV risk behaviors in Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Access to culturally competent HIV/AIDS and substance abuse treatment and prevention services is limited for Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs). Based on the intake data for a community outreach project in the San Francisco Bay Area (N = 1,349), HIV risk behaviors were described among the targeted API risk groups. The self-reported HIV prevalence was 6% among MSM. Inconsistent condom use for vaginal sex with casual partners in the past 6 months was reported among substance users (43%) and incarcerated participants (60%), whereas 26% of men who have sex with men reported inconsistent condom use for anal sex with casual partners. Overall, 56% and 29% had engaged in sex with casual partners under the influence of alcohol and drugs in the past 6 months, respectively. Although API organizations in the Bay Area have spearheaded HIV prevention, future programs must address substance use issues in relation to sexual risk behaviors, specific to API risk groups.