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Sexually Transmitted Infections
Vaccine Readiness in People Who Use Substances In Community STI Clinics and Substance Use Intervention or Harm Reduction Programs In Eight Higher HIV Incidence Southeastern Cities
Research is needed to determine prospects for COVID-19 vaccine uptake among people living in higher prevalence communities, hit hard by serial surges, and enacting tenuous policies for COVID-19 mask use, social distancing, and business and social gathering restrictions. Such research is especially crucial for devising strategies to promote vaccine uptake among disenfranchised people of color, who are often limited by disparities due to lower resources and higher mistrust for adopting health care innovations.
Susan Tross, Ph.D
Associate Professor
Characteristics of Screening, Evaluation, and Treatment of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C Viral Infection, and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
Substance abuse is associated with a wide spectrum of medical disorders, including infections due to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as well as sexually transmitted infections. Despite the seriousness of this problem, there has not been a systematic investigation of infectious disease services in the substance abuse treatment health care delivery system.
Overview of Justice System Research Initiatives
NIDA funds a broad portfolio of research addressing drug abuse in the context of the justice system. Drug abuse and crime are highly correlated in both the adult criminal justice system and the juvenile justice system. Estimates suggest that over half of individuals in prison and nearly two thirds of individuals in jails met criteria for drug dependence or misuse. 1 Among adolescents involved in serious offenses, substance dependence or misuse is approximately 3-4 times higher than that of the general population of adolescents.