Preventing Bacterial and Viral Infections Among Injection Drug Users

We propose a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Skin intervention, compared to an assessment-only condition (both groups receive rapid HIV testing, a review of testing results, and brief HIV prevention counseling) among 350 injection drug users recruited during an acute medical hospitalization at Boston Medical Center. In the general hospital setting, injection drug users who otherwise might not seek care are accessible and teachable, and the presence of a drug-related illness can set the stage for patients to be more receptive to interventions2. We hypothesize that the Skin intervention will produce better outcomes at 1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month(s) post-intervention.