title: Drug users: a potentially important bridge population in the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to examine risk characteristics among bridge and nonbridge drug users.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted among drug users. Drug users who shared needles and engaged in sex with both high-risk partners and low-risk partners were defined as bridgers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 312 drug users were recruited, among whom 49.4% (154) were bridgers. Among bridgers, 83.1% injected drugs and 35% shared needles in the past month. Eighty-seven percent (134) of bridgers had one or more commercial sex partners in the past year. Only 3.9% of the bridgers and 4.6% of nonbridgers consistently used condoms with regular sex partners. Fifty-eight percent of bridgers and 46.8% of nonbridgers tested positive for hepatitis C virus, whereas 15.6% of bridgers and 7% of nonbridgers tested positive for syphilis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pervasiveness of bridgers among drug users and their risky sexual behavior underscore their role in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201-2196, USA. hongjie@med.wayne.edu
authors.forename: Hongjie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Grusky
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Erjian
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000635:transmission*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires