Abstract
The HIV epidemic in Vietnam is concentrated primarily among injecting drug users (IDUs). To prevent HIV-1 superinfection and to develop effective HIV prevention programs, data are needed to understand the characteristics of high-risk HIV-positive IDUs. In 2003, we conducted a community-based cross-sectional study among predominately male, out-of-treatment IDUs, aged 18-45, in the Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam. Among 299 male participants, 42.8% were HIV-positive, and among those, 96.9% did not know their status prior to the study. Furthermore, 32% were HIV-positive and had high HIV behavioral risk (having unprotected sex or having shared injecting equipment in the past 6 months). Injecting for ≥3 years, younger age, and pooling money to buy drugs were independently associated with being at high risk for transmitting HIV. IDUs who purchased more than one syringe at a time were less likely to have high HIV behavioral risk. Structural interventions that increase syringe accessibility may be effective in reducing HIV risk behavior among HIV-positive IDUs. Study limitations are noted in the article. copyright
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 381-389 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Substance Use and Misuse |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 8 2011 |
Keywords
- HIV
- HIV-positive
- Vietnam
- injecting drug users
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Health(social science)
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Psychiatry and Mental health