Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and HIV infection among drug users attending an STD/HIV prevention and needle-exchange program in Quebec City, Canada.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among injection and noninjection drug users in Quebec City and to identify associated risk factors.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of 738 drug users attending a sexually transmitted disease/HIV prevention and needle-exchange program in Quebec City, Canada.


RESULTS
The prevalences of N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis were, respectively, 0.4% (95% CI: 0.08%-1.2%) and 3.4% (95% Cl: 2.2%-5.0%). Through multivariate analysis, risk factors associated with sexually transmitted diseases were: among women, being aged between 20 and 24 years and having unprotected sex with commercial partners; in noninjection drug users; cocaine use and first intercourse before 13 years of age; in male noninjection drug users, having regular sexual partners in the previous 6 months. No case of HIV was found in participants who have never injected drugs, but the prevalence was 5.5% (6/110) among the exinjectors and 10.1% (35/347) in current injectors.


CONCLUSIONS
Moderate sexually transmitted disease and HIV prevalences were found, although a high proportion of drug users reported risky behaviors. Needle-exchange program sites may offer a good opportunity to provide sexually transmitted disease/HIV prevention and medical services to drug users.
Poulin
C
C
Unité de Recherche en Santé Publique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Quebec, Canada.
Alary
M
M
Bernier
F
F
Ringuet
J
J
Joly
J R
JR
D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology