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Abstract #157624

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Eugene Yu-Chang Peng, MD, MS, Department of Community Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Renai Branch, No. 10, Section 4, Renai Road, Taipei, 106, Taiwan, Shu-Yu Lyu, MPH, PhD, School of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei, 110, Taiwan, +886-2-23784529, sylyu@tmu.edu.tw, and Donald E. Morisky, ScD, MSPH, ScM, Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California at Los Angeles, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1.

Background: There has been a rapid increase in the number of reported cases of HIV-positive injection drug users (IDUs) since 2004. Purpose: To explore the possible reasons for the rapid increase of HIV infection and the modes of HIV transmission. Method: In 2006, all HIV infected male inmates, selected by a stratified sampling methodology, were surveyed using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire in group settings directed by trained interviewers. A total of 540 male subjects were recruited in this study. Results: About 85% of the subjects were IDUs, and 90% were infected with HIV after 2003. Based on multiple responses, 72 % of the subjects said they had contracted HIV through sharing needles with other HIV-positive IDUs, 64% said they were infected through sharing drug solution with others, another 17% said they contracted HIV from prostitutes. The number of IDUs sharing paraphernalia is increasing in direct relation to a decrease in the drug supply over the last three years. When asked about changes in the drug scene after 2003, the year of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, 28% reported a decrease in drug supply, 21% reported a steep increase in drug prices, 10% reported a rise in the number of IDUs sharing solution and 10% reported an increase in the number of IDUs sharing needles. Conclusion: Sharing drug paraphernalia with HIV infected IDUs were the key factors related to the increase of HIV infection rather than a rise in the number of IDUs sharing needles.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Recognize the modes of HIV transmission among inmate population.
• 2.Identify the potential causes of HIV infection outbreak among IDUs after 2003.
• 3.Explore risky behaviors and health education needs among inmate population.
• 4.Discuss HIV/AIDS control strategies among IDUs.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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