Tobacco Assessment and Intervention With Low-Income Persons Living With HIV-AIDS (PLWHA) in Community-Based AIDS Service Organizations

Feasibility of Tobacco Assessment and Intervention With Low-Income Persons Living With HIV-AIDS (PLWHA) in Community-Based AIDS Service Organizations

"A treatment session especially for PLWHA to help them discuss and take action about their smoking may be useful."

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 years or older as per self-report;
• English speaking;
• New York or New Jersey State resident;
• HIV-positive serostatus direct referral from a CAB agency staff member, which verifies that the person is an HIV+ client, or by as verified by presentation of medical evidence (i.e.,confirmatory test result, ARV prescription, M11Q form, or lab results);
• Self-report of smoking > or = to 20 cigarettes (> or = to one pack) within the prior 7 days;
• To confirm smoking status, the carbon monoxide alveolar breath test must be > or = to 10 ppm;
• To confirm cognitive functioning, score on the in-person BLESSED Exam must be < or = to 10;
• Low income, defined by either: 1) Proof of Medicaid insurance, or 2) Self-report of income at 50% or below median income for New York State for New York State residents, or if a New Jersey resident, at or below 50% median income for New Jersey

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of current severe psychopathology that would limit study participation (e.g., unstable schizophrenia, bipolar disorder recent changes to medication noncompliance);
• Currently receiving smoking cessation treatment elsewhere.