title: Correlates of HIV status among injection drug users in a border region of southern China and northern Vietnam.
abstract: This article presents an analysis of the correlates of HIV status among samples of injection drug users (IDUs) in Lang Son Province, Vietnam (n=348), and Ning Ming County, Guangxi Province, China (n=294), who were interviewed and tested for HIV antibody just before the start of a peer-based HIV prevention intervention in this border region. Participants were largely male, in their 20s, and single. Logistic regression analysis suggests that among Chinese IDUs, border-related factors (eg, living closer to the border, buying drugs across the border more frequently) and younger age are the best predictors of HIV positivity. In Vietnam, HIV status seems to drive behavior (eg, some risk reduction practices are predictive of HIV positivity). These differing patterns may reflect the fact that the intertwined epidemics of heroin injection and HIV began earlier and HIV prevalence has reached significantly higher levels in Lang Son than across the border in Ning Ming. Although border-related factors emerge as predictors in Ning Ming, more IDUs in Lang Son are HIV-positive and may be reacting behaviorally to that status. Their greater likelihood of engaging in risk reduction measures may reflect some combination of a belief that risk reduction can slow disease progression and an altruistic desire to avoid infecting others.
authors.affiliation: Abt Associates, Cambridge, MA 02138-1168, USA. ted_hammett@abtassoc.com
authors.forename: Theodore M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Hammett
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kling
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Doan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ngu
authors.forename: Nguyen Duy
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.forename: Kieu Thanh
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Binh
authors.forename: Ha Viet
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Tran Vu
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.forename: Ly Kieu
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Van
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donghua
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Don C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Des Jarlais
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology