The intervention in Long Beach focused on injection drug users, their female sex partners, and female commercial sex workers. The project was known as "Road Dogs," a term that referred to individuals, generally drug users, who hung out together on the street. The project developed two series of publications: "Road Dogs" for male and female injection drug users and "For Women Only" for female injectors, sex partners of injectors, and sex workers. Roughly two-thirds of the individuals reached by the project were African American.

The intervention was conducted in an area covering 2.3 square miles in the central part of the city, not far from the downtown district. This area was chosen because of its high prevalence of drug abuse and prostitution. Data for comparison purposes were collected at sites located in other areas of Long Beach and two nearby communities.

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Behavioral Research and Services at California State University, Long Beach, were collaborators on the project. Nancy Corby, Ph.D., was the principal investigator and other key staff were:

• Susan Enguidanos, M.P.H.
• Margaret Jamner, Ph.D.
• Fen Rhodes, Ph.D.
• Richard Wolitski, M.A.
• Jefferson Wood