title: HIV prevalence and HIV risk behaviour among injecting drug users in London and Glasgow.
abstract: This paper reports on the British findings from a cross-national study of HIV prevalence and HIV risk behaviour among 1,037 injecting drug users (IDUs) recruited from a variety of treatment- and community-based settings during 1990. Confirmed HIV saliva test results show 12.8% (63) of London respondents and 1.8% (8) of Glasgow respondents to be HIV antibody positive. Among London respondents, a higher rate of prevalence was found in those with no experience of drug treatment. A greater proportion of Glasgow respondents (68%) than London respondents (47%) reported sharing used injecting equipment in the 6 months prior to interview. The majority (88% in both cities) attempted cleaning borrowed equipment, although less than a third (31% in London and 30% in Glasgow) usually used bleach. The majority of respondents (71% in London and 82% in Glasgow) were sexually active with partners of the opposite sex in the last 6 months, and respondents had a mean number of 2.4 non-commercial sexual partners in London and 2.1 in Glasgow. Levels of reported condom use were comparable with reports in the heterosexual population as a whole, with 70% of London respondents and 75% of Glasgow respondents never using condoms with primary partners, and 34% of London and 52% of Glasgow respondents never using condoms with casual partners. Half (48%) of London respondents and 42% of Glasgow respondents reported sexual intercourse with non-injecting private sexual partners, while 14% of female respondents in London and 22% in Glasgow had engaged in prostitution. Levels of risk-taking in each of the two cities indicate the potential for further transmission of HIV among drug injectors, and their sexual and sharing partners.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, University of London, UK.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bloor
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Donoghoe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haw
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ettore
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Platt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frischer
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finlay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence / Q000639:trends*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*