Prevalence of HIV infection in the drug addicts of Bangladesh: drug habit, sexual practice and lifestyle.
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HIV infection in drug addicts and to address their drug habit, sexual life style and socioeconomic factors. This study was conducted among 505 male drug addicts comprising 250 intravenous drug users (IDUs) and 255 non-IDUs. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to screen HIV antibody in the sera of drug addicts. Seropositivity was confirmed by line immunoassay method. Results showed 3.76% (n =19) HIV-seroprevalence, of which 2.77% (n =14) were IDUs and the rest (0.99%, n =5) were non-IDUs. Amongst the IDUs (n =250) the seroprevalence rate was 5.6% (n =14) and in the non-IDUs (n =255), it was 1.96% (n =5). The seropositive addicts used multiple drugs for long periods of time, the majority of them (63.2%, n =12) started addiction with cannabis but ended up with heroin. Unprotected sex (did not use condom), multiple sexual partnerships and sexually transmitted diseases were common among the seropositives. Prevalence of these behavioural and biological risk factors in drug addicts was responsible for their being HIV infected. Most of the HIV-positive addicts were literate young adults (84.2%), employed (73.7%) and married (63.2%). None of them were homosexual. This study reveals that HIV-seroprevalence in the drug addicts of Bangladesh is still at the embryonic stage, it has not yet reached the threshold level.
Islam
S K Nazrul
SK
Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. snislam@bangla.net
Hossain
Kazi Jahangir
KJ
Kamal
Mustafa
M
Ahsan
Monira
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*