AIDS education and prevention programs for intravenous drug users: the California experience

The state of California, pursuant to 1985 legislation, established the California AIDS Program (CAP) within the state Office of AIDS. As part of this program, the Office of AIDS contracts with public and private agencies to provide AIDS education to specific target groups throughout the state. Intravenous drug users (IVDUs) constitute one of the target populations singled out for special attention by the state. This article, based on a statewide evaluation, describes the AIDS education programs for IVDUs funded by the Office of AIDS. The types of educational interventions used are presented, both for IVDUs in treatment and those not in treatment. The unique problems in reaching this target population are also discussed. The article concludes that the state is making a good effort to reach IVDUs, but that further educational and evaluative efforts are needed. Specifically, the individual educational programs must move beyond the transmission and evaluation of cognitive knowledge about AIDS to an assessment of the attitudes that impede behavior change.