Rafaela R Robles

Biographic Data

ID195936
NAMERafaela R Robles
GIVEN NAMESRafaela R
FAMILY NAMERobles
SIGNATUREROBLES R R
AFFILIATIONSCentral University of the Caribbean
VERIFIEDNo
TOTAL WORKS25
TOTAL CITATIONS28
WORKS AS AUTHOR25
WORKS AS EDITOR0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR1992
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR2012
H-INDEX3

  • The Emerging of Xylazine as a New Drug of Abuse and its Health Consequences among Drug Users in Puerto Rico

    Open AccessJuan Carlos Reyes, Juan Negrón et al.ARTICLEJournal of Urban Health2012Cited by: 3

  • Pilot Trial of an Intervention Aimed at Modifying Drug Preparation Practices Among Injection Drug Users in Puerto Rico

    Open AccessHéctor M Colón, H Ann Finlinson et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2009

  • An Exploratory Study of Puerto Rican MSM Drug Users

    Open AccessH Ann Finlinson, Héctor M Colón et al.ARTICLEYouth & Society2008Cited by: 1References: 24

    Research suggests that sexual silence, family loyalty, and homophobia foster health-compromising behaviors among adult Latino gay males, but little is known about the effect of these sociocultural factors on the lives of Latino children and young teens characterized by gender nonconformity and homosexual orientation. This exploratory study of Puerto Rican men who have sex with men (MSM) used multisession qualitative interviews to examine early li…

  • The Puerto Rico–New York Airbridge for Drug Users

    Open AccessSherry Deren, Sung-Yeon Kang et al.ARTICLEJournal of Urban Health2007Cited by: 4References: 1

  • Severe Anxiety Symptomatology and HIV Risk Behavior Among Hispanic Injection Drug Users in Puerto Rico

    Open AccessJuan Carlos Reyes, Rafaela R Robles et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2006

  • Sexual Identity Formation and Aids Prevention

    Open AccessH Ann Finlinson, Héctor M Colón et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2006

  • HIV Transmission Behaviors in Jail/Prison Among Puerto Rican Drug Injectors in New York and Puerto Rico

    Open AccessSung-Yeon Kang, Sherry Deren et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2005

  • Elicitation of Salient Beliefs Related to Drug Preparation Practices Among Injection Drug Users in Puerto Rico

    Open AccessHéctor M Colón, H Ann Finlinson et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2005

  • Injecting Shared Drugs

    H Ann Finlinson, Héctor M Colón et al.ARTICLEJournal of Psychoactive Drugs2005

    The practice of injecting shared drugs, in which drug users prepare, divide and inject portions of a drug solution, is a means of transmitting HIV, HCV, and other blood-borne pathogens. This study examined the process of injecting shared drugs among drug users in San Juan, Puerto Rico, through detailed observations of 25 episodes of the injection of shared drugs, and by informal interviewing of episode participants. The ways in which price and pa…

  • The Utility of the PRECEDE Model in Predicting HIV Risk Behaviors Among Puerto Rican Injection Drug Users

    Open AccessSherry Deren, Sung-Yeon Kang et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2003

  • Sexual risk behaviours of Puerto Rican drug users in East Harlem New York and Bayamón, Puerto Rico

    Denise Oliver-Velez, Denise Oliver‐Vélez et al.ARTICLECulture Health & Sexuality2003

    Puerto Rican drug users both in New York and Puerto Rico have disproportionately high rates of HIV/AIDS. This paper derives findings from the ARIBBA Project--a dual site study of HIV risk behaviour determinants among Puerto Rican injection drug users and crack smokers, conducted in East Harlem, NY and Bayamón, PR. Qualitative data collected in focus groups, interviews and observations revealed significant differences in sexual risk behaviours, pe…

  • Puerto Rican Drug Users' Experiences of Physical and Sexual Abuse

    Open AccessH Ann Finlinson, Denise Oliver-Velez et al.ARTICLEViolence Against Women2003Cited by: 1References: 3

    This study examines gender and developmental stage differences in physical and sexual abuse among Puerto Rican drug users. A structured questionnaire was administered to 799 participants in New York and 382 in Puerto Rico. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth life histories with 21 participants. Study participants included 297 female and 884 male Puerto Rican drug injectors and crack smokers. Females were significantly more likely tha…

  • Migration and HIV Risk Behaviors

    Sherry Deren, Sung-Yeon Kang et al.ARTICLEAmerican Journal of Public Health2003Cited by: 3References: 12

    Objectives. We compared injection-related HIV risk behaviors of Puerto Rican current injection drug users (IDUs) living in New York City and in Puerto Rico who also had injected in the other location with those who had not. Methods. We recruited Puerto Rican IDUs in New York City (n = 561) and in Puerto Rico (n = 312). Of the former, 39% were “newcomers,” having previously injected in Puerto Rico; of the latter, 14% were “returnees,” having previ…

  • Puerto rican drug users’ experiences of physical and sexual abuse

    H Ann Finlinson, Rafaela R Robles et al.ARTICLEThe Journal of Sex Research2003Cited by: 5References: 2

    This study integrates the results of quantitative and qualitative methods to elucidate the association between sexual identity and physical and sexual abuse among Puerto Rican drug users. A structured questionnaire was administered to 800 subjects in New York and 399 in Puerto Rico. A total of 93 subjects (7.9%) self-identified as homosexual or bisexual. Gay males were significantly more likely than heterosexual males to report first occurrence o…

  • The Use of the Puerto Rican Biculturality Scale with Puerto Rican Drug Users in New York and Puerto Rico

    Dharma E Cortés, Sherry Deren et al.ARTICLEJournal of Psychoactive Drugs2003Cited by: 9References: 13

    This study examines the psychometric properties of an acculturation scale specifically developed for Puerto Ricans with a sample of substance abusers residing in Puerto Rico and New York. In line with current conceptual models of acculturation, this instrument departs from a mutually exclusive or zero-sum conceptualization of acculturation by assessing involvement in both American and Puerto Rican cultures independently of each other. Findings fr…

  • Mapping the Air-Bridge Locations

    Denise Oliver-Velez, Denise Oliver‐Vélez et al.ARTICLEHuman Organization2002

    Ethnographic mapping plays an important role in learning more about the geographic location and temporal movement of hidden populations; it also aids in the exploration of drug use patterns and the social infrastructure of drug users. This paper presents a narrative account of the development and implementation of a mapping process for the ARIBBA project, a dual-site study of the HIV risk behaviors of Puerto Rican drug injectors and crack smokers…

  • Drug-Scene Roles and HIV Risk Among Puerto Rican Injection Drug Users in East Harlem, New York and Bayamón, Puerto Rico

    R Friedman, Sung-Yeon Kang et al.ARTICLEJournal of Psychoactive Drugs2002

    This article describes and compares distributions of drug-scene roles, frequency of engaging in role behaviors, and relationships of role-holding to high-risk behaviors and sexual partnerships among Puerto Rican injection drug users in New York and Puerto Rico. For this study 561 street-recruited injection drug users in East Harlem, New York, and 312 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico were asked the number of days (in the last 30) in which they earned money…

  • Gender Differences in HIV Risk Behaviors Among Puerto Rican Drug Injectors by Awareness of HIV Seropositive Status

    Open AccessSung-Yeon Kang, Sherry Deren et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2001

  • Syringe Acquisition and Use of Syringe Exchange Programs by Puerto Rican Drug Injectors in New York and Puerto Rico

    Open AccessH Ann Finlinson, Denise Oliver-Velez et al.ARTICLEAIDS and Behavior2000

  • Access to Sterile Syringes by Injection Drug Users in Puerto Rico

    H Finlinson, H Ann Finlinson et al.ARTICLEHuman Organization1999

    A variety of studies have concluded that a primary reason injection drug users (IDUs), their sexual partners, and children continue to be infected with HIV is the lack of access to sterile syringes. The present study employed ethnographic interviews and observations to examine access to sterile syringes by IDUs in Puerto Rico between July 1995 and June 1997, a time characterized by the absence of legal restrictions on the sale and possession of s…

  • Factors associated with changes in sex behaviour among drug users in Puerto Rico

    Rafaela R Robles, Carmen A Marrero et al.ARTICLEAIDS Care1998

    Despite available strategies to prevent sex risk behaviours in Puerto Rico, heterosexual transmission of HIV continues to increase. Since 1990, heterosexual contact has been the fastest growing infection risk category among the island's general population, and the primary transmission route for women and children. To understand change in sex risk behaviours and factors related to change, 911 drug injectors and 359 crack smokers were recruited fro…

  • Help Seeking for Mental Health Care Among Poor Puerto Ricans

    Mildred Vera, Margarita Alegria et al.ARTICLEMedical Care1998References: 31

    OBJECTIVES: This study examines the effects of health, predisposing, and enabling factors on recognition of a mental health problem, use of formal mental health care, and contact with a specialized mental health provider. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with a probability sample of 3,435 adults. The variables examined include measures of mental health; social and demographic factors; and enabling factors relevant to the help-seeking process. R…

  • What We Want to Know About HIV/Aids

    H Finlinson, H Ann Finlinson et al.ARTICLEHuman Organization1996

    An analysis of the questions about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) asked by intravenous drug users attending AIDS education classes at a public detoxification center in San Juan Puerto Rico provided guidelines for the design of future educational programs. Of the 13007 AIDS cases reported in Puerto Rico by April 1994 an estimated 57% were associated with contact with contaminated drug injecting equ…

  • Recruiting and Retaining Out-of-Treatment Injecting Drug Users in the Puerto Rico Aids Prevention Project

    H Finlinson, H Ann Finlinson et al.ARTICLEHuman Organization1993Cited by: 2References: 5

    In 1988 the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded the Puerto Rico AIDS Prevention Project (PRAPP), one of 41 national AIDS demonstration research programs. These projects target out-of-treatment injecting drug users (IDUs), and attempt through community-based interventions to reduce high-risk behaviors associated with HIV transmission. From May 1989 through July 1990, outreachers working in PRAPP recruited 1702 out-of-treatment IDUs from…

  • A Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve Analysis of a Model of Mental Health Services Use by Puerto Rican Poor

    Daniel H Freeman, Daniel Freeman et al.ARTICLEMedical Care1992

    In this study, the contribution of four distinct domains of the Help Seeking-Decision Making model to predicting the use of mental health services is examined. Using a proposed methodology the authors assess the relevance of this model and its domains to mental services planning. The methodology combines logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Logistic regression analysis allows us to examine the individua…