HIV seroprevalence among street-recruited injection drug and crack cocaine users in 16 US municipalities.
OBJECTIVE
This study deter- mined human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroprevalence and factors associated with HIV infection among street-recruited injection drug users and crack cocaine smokers.


METHODS
An analysis was performed on HIV serologies and risk behaviors of 6402 injection drug users and 3383 crack smokers in 16 US municipalities in 1992 and 1993.


RESULTS
HIV seroprevalence was 12.7% among injection drug users and 7.5% among crack smokers. Most high-seroprevalence municipalities (>25%) were located along the eastern seaboard of the United States. In high-seroprevalence municipalities, but not in others, HIV seroprevalence was higher for injection drug users than for crack smokers. Among injection drug users, cocaine injection, use of speedballs (cocaine or amphetamines with heroin), and sexual risk behaviors were independently associated with HIV infection. Among crack smokers, sexual risk behaviors were associated with HIV infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Injection drug users and crack smokers are at high risk for HIV infection.
Kral
A H
AH
Institute for Health Policy Studies, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
Bluthenthal
R N
RN
Booth
R E
RE
Watters
J K
JK
D000328:Adult; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D005260:Female; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D016578:Crack Cocaine