“AIDS Care,” 18(4), 339-344.

Carrie Oser and colleagues examine the behavioral risks for contracting and transmitting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among probationers – criminal offenders under community supervision -- in rural areas. Probationers have a greater opportunity to participate in high risk behaviors than those incarcerated. In addition, these individuals in rural areas function at an even higher risk possibly due to the lack of HIV education, prevention and risk reduction approaches.  This study discusses the prevalence of high risk HIV behaviors and the level of HIV knowledge across male and female rural felony probationers.

Results indicated males engage in more illegal behavior and more drug abuse than women. In addition, the use of condoms was minimal and variable, with no significant differences between males and females. While women possessed more HIV knowledge than their male counterparts, there were no gender differences in the impact of perceived knowledge on the scores of the HIV Risk Behavior Knowledge Test.  Oser found that residents are not protected from engaging in HIV risk behaviors and future studies should examine gender discrepancies between perceived and actual HIV knowledge among offenders under community supervision.

Carrie Oser is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences with a faculty appointment in the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research.  Her research interests include the health services, substance abuse treatment interventions and HIV among criminal justice populations. She has recently published in the “Prison Journal,” “Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment,” “Sociological Inquiry,” “Journal of Rural Health” and “AIDS Care.”