260347 Risk indicators of higher risk injecting among drug users in the Saskatoon Health Region, Canada

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

John Moraros, MD, PhD , School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Jacey Falconer, BA, MPH candidate , School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Marla Rogers, BA, MPA , School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Mark Lemstra, BSc, MS, DrSC, MPH, DrPH, PhD, PhD , School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Duvaraga Sivajohanathan, BSc, MPH candidate , School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
BACKGROUND: Over the last decade, the incidence of positive HIV test reports within the Saskatoon Health Region (SHR), Saskatchewan, Canada has been rapidly rising. Injection drug use (IDU) has been widely recognized as the major etiological factor for this increase. This study sought to assess the prevalence, characteristics and risk indicators of higher risk injection drug users (HR IDUs) in comparison to lower risk injection drug users (LR IDUs) within the SHR. METHODS: Study participants were selected over an eight month time period spanning from 2009 to 2010. During that time period current IDUs (n = 603) were interviewed and stratified into either the HR IDUs (n = 182) or LR IDUs (n = 421) categories depending on their drug use behaviours and needle and paraphernalia sharing practices. RESULTS: This study found that HR IDUs were more often engaged in giving sex to get drugs and giving drugs to get sex than LR IDUs. HR IDUs also had significantly more sexual partners and a higher frequency of injection than LR IDUs. Logistic regression analysis, determined three covariates that independently predicted being a HR IDU including homelessness, having experienced sexual assault as a child, and lack of knowledge related to HIV/AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study provide valuable information to health care professionals and a useful context based on which public health initiatives can be designed to specifically target IDUs, who are most at risk in developing HIV and subsequently transmitting the disease.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Differentiate between higher risk injection drug users and lower risk injection drug users. 2. Compare the prevalence rates, sociodemographic characteristics and risk indicators of higher risk injection drug users to lower risk injection drug users. 3. Discuss underlying causes of the risk indicators of being infected with HIV.

Keywords: Substance Abuse, HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal investigator of several externally funded grants and the author of multiple peer reviewed manuscripts focusing on the epidemiology of infectious disease. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies for identifying risk indicators of higher risk injecting among drug users.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.

Back to: 4043.0: HIV and Injection Drug Use