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HIV prevalence 11% among IDUs in 2012
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The prevalence of HIV among injection drug users was 11% in 2012, according to data from the CDC’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system.
“At the center of any response to HIV among [injection drug users (IDUs)] is a comprehensive, multifaceted prevention strategy, which includes access to sterile injection and drug preparation equipment; treatment for substance use and mental disorders; opioid substitution therapy; counseling, testing, and treatment for HIV infection; education on drug-related and sex-related risks and risk-reduction for [IDUs] and their sex partners; and pre-exposure prophylaxis for adult [IDUs] at substantial risk for HIV acquisition,” researchers from CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention wrote in MMWR.
The researchers evaluated the data to determine the rate of HIV infection among IDUs and HIV risk behaviors among this population. In 2012, there were 10,002 IDUs tested for HIV, and 11% were positive. The prevalence was higher among non-Hispanic blacks (16%) than in non-Hispanic whites (5%), and also greater in the South (13%) compared with the Midwest (8%) and West (7%).
The behavioral analysis included 9,425 IDUs. Among those, 30% receptively shared syringes, 70% engaged in vaginal sex without condoms, 25% had heterosexual anal sex without condoms, and 49% had more than one opposite sex partner within the year. Among male IDUs, 10% reported male-to-male sex, and 5% reported condomless male-to-male sex in the past 12 months.
One-quarter of IDUs participated in an HIV behavioral intervention, 39% underwent drug treatment, and 51% were tested for HIV in the past 12 months. Most IDUs (78%) also reported ever being tested for hepatitis C virus. IDUs with health insurance were more likely than those without to have been tested for HIV in the past 12 months, to have participated in an HIV behavior intervention or to have ever been tested for HCV.
“These percentages highlight a role for expanded HIV testing and prevention among [IDUs],” the researchers wrote. “The high-risk behaviors observed among [IDUs] represent an opportunity to prevent future increases in HIV infections caused by sharing injection equipment or having sex without a condom.” – by Emily Shafer
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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