[Human immunodeficiency virus-positive cases among intravenous drug users].
OBJECTIVE
The authors show human immunodeficiency virus positive cases among Hungarian intravenous drug users.


METHODS
The cases were identified by self-admittance (by the results of HIV screening), and by objective methods. The persons were studied by questionnaire on their risk behaviours (injecting and sexual behaviours). Treatment seeking (76 cases) and out-of-treatment (121 cases) groups were analysed. In the first group the self-admittance human immunodeficiency virus-status was taken into consideration, in the second group the objective human immunodeficiency virus-status was studied.


RESULTS
In the treatment-seeking group three persons knew that they had been human immunodeficiency virus positive or had had Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome related disease. The three males were 25 year-old, homeless, and used heroine intravenously. In the out-of-treatment group one person was identified by objective test, who did not know his infection. This 20 year-old male used heroine and amphetamine intravenously, and his risk behaviour was not characteristic for intravenous drug users.


CONCLUSIONS
In these cases the sexual transmission cannot be excluded, but it is pointed out, that the human immunodeficiency virus is present among intravenous drug users in Hungary. Taking into consideration the risk behaviours, these persons can transmit the disease through injecting and or sexual behaviours. In case of treatment seeking group, the treatment institutions (where the interviews took place) did not know the infections among their patients. According to their results, the authors call the attention to the human immunodeficiency virus infection among Hungarian intravenous drug users and they urge specific interventions for intravenous drug users.
Rácz
József
J
Pszichológiai Kutatóintézet, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, Budapest.
Ujhelyi
Eszter
E
Fehér
Beáta
B
D000328:Adult; D004522:Educational Status; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000635:transmission*; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications