Hagan H, Thiede H; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12; 14: abstract no. MoPeC3476.
NDRI, Inc., New York, NY, United States
BACKGROUND: Young injection drug users (IDUs) have been identified as being at increased risk of HIV infection in several studies. This relationship was evaluated in a Seattle cohort study, to understand whether young drug injectors (age < 30) were more likely to practice injection or sexual risk behavior, and whether they had elevated risk of seroconversion to other bloodborne viruses (HBV or HCV). METHODS: 3,000 IDUs were recruited into the study from 6/94 to 6/97; 78% completed a follow-up visit 12 months later. At that visit, they were asked about risk behavior during the follow-up period, and a blood specimen was tested to detect antibodies to HIV, HBV or HCV in previously seronegative individuals. 439 young IDUs were compared to 1768 older injectors, and the association between young age and HBV & HCV seroconversion and risk behavior at follow-up was evaluated using relative risks (RR) and adjusted RR (ARR), adjusting for gender, race, and baseline risk behavior as potential confounders. (There were too few HIV infections to analyze.) RESULTS: Young IDUs included a higher proportion of women (50% vs. 37% of older injectors), and more frequent injectors (mean 92 injections/month vs. 85/month). HCV- and HBV-seroprevalence was substantially lower in young IDUs (62% vs. 90% for HCV; 32% vs. 71% for HBV). At follow-up, young injectors were more likely to inject with a syringe previously used by another IDU (ARR 1.3, 95% CL 1.0-1.6); to divide drugs using a previously used syringe (ARR 1.3, 95% CL 1.04-1.7); and to exchange sex for drugs or money (ARR 2.0, 95% CL 1.5-2.7); but were equally likely to share drug cookers and filtration cotton. HCV and HBV seroconversion rates did not differ between young and older IDUs (ARR 1.1 and 0.8, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Excess risk behavior was observed in younger IDUs, without any apparent increase in risk of acquiring HBV or HCV.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Cohort Studies
- Female
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Hepacivirus
- Humans
- Risk-Taking
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
- Sexual Behavior
- Substance-Related Disorders
Other ID:
UI: 102252882
From Meeting Abstracts