van Ameijden EJ, van den Hoek A, Coutinho RA; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1991 Jun 16-21; 7: 82 (abstract no. TH.C.104).

Municipal Health Service, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors (RF) for HIV seroconversion in injecting drug users (IDU) and to evaluate whether participation in the needle exchange program and in the low threshold methadone programs (LTMP) protects for new HIV infections. METHODS: Seroconverters (SC) and controls (IDU who remained HIV-) were recruited from IDU who participated in a longitudinal HIV study in Amsterdam, which started Dec. 1985. Because SC could already be infected in the period preceding the last HIV- visit, behavior was measured over 2 consecutive preceding periods (total mean number of days of the 2 periods: 266 days, sd=66). Because all SC injected in both periods, controls were selected accordingly. As a result the behavior of 23 SC could be compared with 181 seronegative IDU as controls. RESULTS: Six independent RF for seroconversion were found in logistic regression: living greater than 10 yr in Amsterdam (OR=5.63 95% CI:1.88-16.87), intake visit before 1987 (OR=4.76 CI:1.75-14.29), injecting mainly at home (OR=.35 CI:.13-.95), mainly injecting speedballs (OR=4.33 CI:1.14-16.48), getting a new regular injecting partner (OR=4.73 CI:1.21-18.46) and having prostituted (2.69 CI:.90-8.05). Borrowing was reported by 70% of the SC, compared to 58% of the controls. The variables obtaining needles/syringes for greater than 90% via the exchange program and participating in the LTMP (both during the 2 periods) were separately forced into the model; the OR's were 1.47 and .87 resp. (both p greater than .45). Forty eight percent of both SC and controls exchanged needles greater than 90% in both periods, while 70% of SC and 72% of the controls participated in the LTMP in both periods. CONCLUSION: Being in a low threshold methadone program and obtaining needles/syringes for greater than 90% via the exchange program does not seem to have a protective effect on seroconversion among our study group of current IDU. The independent RF prostitution and a new regular injecting partner do suggest some risk of sexual transmission in addition to the risk of injecting behavior.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Logistic Models
• Longitudinal Studies
• Methadone
• Needle-Exchange Programs
• Netherlands
• Risk Factors
• Substance-Related Disorders
• Syringes

Other ID:

• 4010491

UI: 102196897

From Meeting Abstracts