Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Samuel R. Friedman, PhD¹, Melissa Bolyard, PhD¹, Jonathan Zenilman, MD², Pedro Mateu-Gelabert, PhD¹, and Milagros Sandoval¹. (1) IAR, National Develpment & Research Institutes, 71 West 23d Street, 8th floor, New York, NY 10010, 212 845 4467, friedman@ndri.org, (2) Infectious Diseases Division, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 4940 Eastern Avenue B-3 North, Baltimore, MD 21224

Objectives: Little is known about non-IDU sex partners of IDUs or their HIV/hepatitis/STI risk. We describe them and their partnerships. Methods: 465 subjects, including 200 IDUs, were interviewed in a New York City neighborhood with epidemic HIV. In this network study, 83 subjects who had never injected drugs were identified as sex partners of IDUs. Results: These non-IDU sex partners of IDUs have moderate/high rates of HIV infection (non-MSM 6.5%; MSM 50%), HBV exposure (non-MSM 26%; MSM 62%), and HSV-2 infection (MSM 76%; WSW 70%; other women 67%; other men 22%). 60% used cocaine or heroin within the last 3 months. Of 56 relationships with available data, non-IDUs mistakenly report that their partner is not an IDU in 26 (46%) although the partner's self-report or other data indicated the partner injected drugs. Consistent condom use in these relationships is low (approximately 39%) regardless of such misinformation. Conclusions: Most non-IDU sex partners of IDUs use (non-injected) heroin or cocaine. In this neighborhood, which has seen many AIDS deaths but a declining HIV epidemic over time, HIV prevalence among these non-IDUs sex partners is itself moderately high, and 24% of non-IDU sex partners of IDUs have at least one HIV-infected IDU sex partner. Nonetheless, consistent condom use is rare. HIV and STD prevention initiatives that target non-injecting drug users are needed. Both non-users and users (including IDUs) should be targeted with accurate information about the difficulties of knowing whether partners inject drugs and the importance of protecting both themselves and their partners.

Learning Objectives: