The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #64290

Dale D. Chitwood, PhD, Jesus Sanchez, PhD, and Mary Comerford, MSPH. Sociology Research Center, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables, FL 33146, 305-284-6176, dchitwood@miami.edu

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the attributable risk percent of injection for HIV among injection drug users (IDUs) and to determine risk factors associated with seroprevalence of HIV among long term injection drug users (LTIDUs), new injection drug users (NIDUs), and heroin sniffers (HSs). METHODS: 900 active heroin users (300 LTIDUs, 300 NIDUs, and 300 HSs) were recruited from the streets of Miami-Dade County, FL. After informed consent and stringent screening procedures, participants were administered a questionnaire which included items on drug use and sex risk behaviors. Blood was drawn to determine the presence of antibodies to HIV. Logistic regression techniques were used to determine factors associated with HIV seroprevalence among subgroups of drug users. RESULTS: HIV seroprevalance was highest among LTIDUs (24.7%) but rates among NIDUs (13.3%) and HSs (12.7%) also were relatively high. The attributable risk percent from injection for HIV was 55.7% for LTIDUs and 5.75% for NIDUs. Both drug risk and sexual risk variables remained in the final regression models. CONCLUSION: Both NIDUs and HSs had high seroprevalence rates but rates among LTIDUs were even higher. High risk sex behavior plays an important role in the prevalence of HIV among drug users. NIDUs have not accumulated sufficient injection risk exposure to have HIV rates that differ from heroin sniffers. Sexual risk behaviors need to be stressed in HIV prevention and intervention programs aimed at drug users.

Learning Objectives:

• Know the attributable risk percent of injection for HIV prevalence among long term and new injection drug users.
• Know the estimates of HIV prevalence among the drug use subgroups.
• Understand the importance of sexual risk in HIV prevalence among drug users.

Keywords: Injecting Drug Use, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.