"Notify your partners--it's the law": HIV providers and mandatory disclosure.

HIV care providers in the United States must counsel clients about disclosure to sexual partners and report anyone who is suspected of noncompliance. This study compared provider attitudes and practices in relation to counseling clients about mandatory disclosure in North Carolina and Alabama, the 2 states with similar HIV epidemiology but different laws for HIV control. Personal interviews were conducted with 20 providers in each state (n = 40). The results were analyzed in a qualitative, cross-comparison method to identify patterns of convergence or difference. Providers in both states believed that clients often failed to notify sexual partners and were secretive if questioned about disclosure. Differences in counseling styles and procedures for each state were noteworthy. Compared to Alabama, North Carolina had harsher penalties for nondisclosure, stricter and more standardized procedures for counseling, and providers expressed greater support for HIV criminalization. Although most North Carolina providers viewed the stricter standards as beneficial for HIV care and control, Alabama providers were likely to view such standards as a barrier to patient care. These results indicated a direct relation between state HIV law, provider attitudes, and counseling procedures for mandatory disclosure.

Do incest, depression, parental drinking, serious romantic relationships, and living with parents influence patterns of substance use during emerging adulthood?

This study examined how incest, depression, parental drinking, relationship status, and living with parents affect patterns of substance use among emerging adults, 18 to 25 years old. The study sample included (n = 11,546) individuals who participated in Waves I, II, and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The study used separate latent class analysis for males and females to determine how patterns of substance use clustered together. The study identified the following three classes of substance use: heavy, moderate, and normative substance use patterns. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that, for females only, incest histories also nearly doubled the risk of heavy-use class membership. In addition, experiencing depression, being single, and not living with parents serve as risk factors for males and females in the heavy-use group. Conversely, being Black, Hispanic, or living with parents lowered the likelihood of being in the group with the most substance use behaviors (i.e., heavy use). Findings highlight the need for interventions that target depression and female survivors of incest among emerging adults.

"Notify your partners--it's the law": HIV providers and mandatory disclosure.

HIV care providers in the United States must counsel clients about disclosure to sexual partners and report anyone who is suspected of noncompliance. This study compared provider attitudes and practices in relation to counseling clients about mandatory disclosure in North Carolina and Alabama, the 2 states with similar HIV epidemiology but different laws for HIV control. Personal interviews were conducted with 20 providers in each state (n = 40). The results were analyzed in a qualitative, cross-comparison method to identify patterns of convergence or difference. Providers in both states believed that clients often failed to notify sexual partners and were secretive if questioned about disclosure. Differences in counseling styles and procedures for each state were noteworthy. Compared to Alabama, North Carolina had harsher penalties for nondisclosure, stricter and more standardized procedures for counseling, and providers expressed greater support for HIV criminalization. Although most North Carolina providers viewed the stricter standards as beneficial for HIV care and control, Alabama providers were likely to view such standards as a barrier to patient care. These results indicated a direct relation between state HIV law, provider attitudes, and counseling procedures for mandatory disclosure.