Peer outreach models have been successful in addressing HIV risk behaviors of drug users. Patients in methadone maintenance treatment programs who were migrants from Puerto Rico and/or familiar with drug use there were trained to conduct HIV-related peer outreach. A group randomized design was implemented; patients in the Experimental (E) condition (n = 80) received training and conducted 12 weeks of outreach. Half of the patients completed the training and outreach. At follow-up, patients in the E condition who conducted outreach felt they were more helpful to their community, showed a trend for engaging in more vocational activities, and were more likely to talk with others about HIV, compared to those who did not conduct outreach and those in the Control condition (n = 78). Drug treatment patients who are migrants can be trained as peer outreach workers and shortterm benefits were found. Longer term maintenance of benefits should be assessed. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011.

Methadone maintenance patients Migrants Puerto Rico Peer outreach HIV risk Drug users

Puerto Rico HIV Infections controlled clinical trial sexual behavior Human immunodeficiency virus infection methodology clinical trial human middle aged controlled study Substance-Related Disorders randomized controlled trial social support opiate substitution treatment ethnology Hispanic Americans United States Humans Hispanic Treatment Outcome male Emigrants and Immigrants female peer group Article high risk behavior Risk-Taking adult migration New York City methadone addiction Narcotics narcotic agent Community-Institutional Relations public relations