HIV testing behavior among injection drug users: Houston, Texas, 2005

Objectives: We report HIV testing behavior among injection drug users. Data are from the Houston site of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance project. Data were collected from May-October, 2006.

Study Design: This anonymous, cross-sectional surveillance project used respondent driven sampling to recruit current injection drug users from high-risk areas of Houston. This study was approved by the University of Texas IRB. Participants provided verbal informed consent.

Results: Among 601 injectors: 76% were Black; 63% were male. Half were aged 44 or older. 18% had more than a high school education.

22% reported that they had never tested for HIV; among those who had ever tested, 13% had not tested in the last 2 years.

Testing for HIV was associated with age and education. 54% of those 18-24 years old reported HIV testing compared to 80% for those 25 and older (p =.004). 88% with some college, 77% with at least a 9th grade education, and 61% of those with less than a high school education reported HIV testing (p<.004). Among 115 individuals who had never tested, 24% reported they were at low risk and 58% reported they were afraid of finding out their HIV status.

9% of the 406 individuals reporting HIV testing reported they were infected with HIV.

Conclusions: While the prevalence of HIV infection is high in this IDU population, testing is low. Testing is associated with age, education, and fear of the results. Interventions to increase testing among IDUs must take into consideration these findings.