TY - JOUR
T1 - HIV risks among injecting and non-injecting female partners of men who inject drugs in Almaty, Kazakhstan
T2 - Implications for HIV prevention, research, and policy
AU - El-Bassel, Nabila
AU - Gilbert, Louisa
AU - Terlikbayeva, Assel
AU - Beyrer, Chris
AU - Wu, Elwin
AU - Shaw, Stacey A.
AU - Ma, Xin
AU - Chang, Mingway
AU - Hunt, Tim
AU - Ismayilova, Leyla
AU - Primbetova, Sholpan
AU - Rozental, Yelena
AU - Zhussupov, Baurzhan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2013 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Background: Kazakhstan and other countries in Central Asia are experiencing a rapidly growing HIV epidemic, which has historically been driven by injection drug use, but is more recently being fueled by heterosexual transmission. Methods: This paper examines HIV and HCV infection, as well as sexual and drug-related risks among female partners of men who inject drugs (MWID), comparing females who inject drugs (FWID) to non-injecting female partners on socio-demographic, relationship context, and structural characteristics. Results: The prevalence rate of HIV was 30.1% among FWID and 10.4% among non-IDU female partners of MWID. The prevalence rate of HCV was 89.8% among FWID and 14.8% among female non-IDUs. Less than one-fifth of all female participants had access to HIV education and services or harm reduction programs. Although high rates of non-injection drug use and sexual risk behaviors were found among both FWID and non-injecting female partners of MWID, we found that FWID were more likely to be HIV seropositive (aRR = 3.03; 95% CI = 1.78, 5.18) and HCV seropositive than non-IDU females (aRR = 6.05; 95% CI = 4.05, 9.04), were more likely to have used alcohol or drugs before sex (aRR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.40, 2.00), and were more likely to have used sedatives, barbiturates, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or painkillers that were not prescribed by a physician (aRR = 17.45; 95% CI = 8.01, 38.01). Conclusion: Given the spread of the HIV epidemic to heterosexual partners in Kazakhstan, more attention is needed in research, prevention, and policies regarding female partners of male injection drug users.
AB - Background: Kazakhstan and other countries in Central Asia are experiencing a rapidly growing HIV epidemic, which has historically been driven by injection drug use, but is more recently being fueled by heterosexual transmission. Methods: This paper examines HIV and HCV infection, as well as sexual and drug-related risks among female partners of men who inject drugs (MWID), comparing females who inject drugs (FWID) to non-injecting female partners on socio-demographic, relationship context, and structural characteristics. Results: The prevalence rate of HIV was 30.1% among FWID and 10.4% among non-IDU female partners of MWID. The prevalence rate of HCV was 89.8% among FWID and 14.8% among female non-IDUs. Less than one-fifth of all female participants had access to HIV education and services or harm reduction programs. Although high rates of non-injection drug use and sexual risk behaviors were found among both FWID and non-injecting female partners of MWID, we found that FWID were more likely to be HIV seropositive (aRR = 3.03; 95% CI = 1.78, 5.18) and HCV seropositive than non-IDU females (aRR = 6.05; 95% CI = 4.05, 9.04), were more likely to have used alcohol or drugs before sex (aRR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.40, 2.00), and were more likely to have used sedatives, barbiturates, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or painkillers that were not prescribed by a physician (aRR = 17.45; 95% CI = 8.01, 38.01). Conclusion: Given the spread of the HIV epidemic to heterosexual partners in Kazakhstan, more attention is needed in research, prevention, and policies regarding female partners of male injection drug users.
KW - Central Asia
KW - Female partners of men who inject drugs
KW - HCV
KW - HIV
KW - Injection drug use
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U2 - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2013.11.009
DO - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2013.11.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 24556208
AN - SCOPUS:84922322898
SN - 0955-3959
VL - 25
SP - 1195
EP - 1203
JO - International Journal of Drug Policy
JF - International Journal of Drug Policy
IS - 6
ER -