Contraceptive practices of non-HIV-seropositive injecting drug users.
OBJECTIVE
To study the sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behaviours in contraception choices of injecting drug users (IDUs) and to compare the contraceptive practices of non-HIV-positive IDUs to those of the general population.


METHODS
Two surveys were used: a sample of IDUs attending 10 drug abuse treatment centres in the Paris region (IDU) and the Parisian subsample of the National French Survey of Sexual Behaviour (ACSF).


METHODS
Percentages of contraception practices were estimated separately for 81 IDU and 130 ACSF women, and for 175 IDU and 168 ACSF men, aged 25-34, not reporting prostitution or HIV seropositivity.


RESULTS
Most IDU (77%) and ACSF (84%) women, and IDU (73%) and ACSF (75%) men currently used a contraceptive method. Male condoms were more widely used by IDUs than by the general population (64 vs. 10% in women, 75 vs. 14% in men), for all subgroups of educational level, marital status, recent multipartnership status and sexual activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Contraceptives are used as often by IDUs as by the general population aged 25-34. However, the methods employed differ, with higher condom use by IDUs, which suggest that IDUs take into account the risk of HIV contamination in their contraceptive practices.
Vidal-Trecan
Gwenaelle
G
Département de Santé publique, CHU Cochin Port Royal, AP-HP, Université René Descartes, Paris, France. gwenaelle.vidal-trecan@cochin.univ-paris5.fr
Warszawski
Josiane
J
Coste
Joel
J
Bajos
Nathalie
N
Delamare
Natalie
N
Grenier-Sennelier
Catherine
C
Boissonnas
Alain
A
D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006801:Humans; D007434:Intrauterine Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D010297:Paris; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000382:microbiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral