Demographic characteristics and risk behaviors associated with HIV positive injecting drug users in Xinjiang, China.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the demographic characteristics and risk behaviors associated with HIV positive and negative injection drug users (IDUs) who were screened for inclusion in a prospective cohort study to estimate HIV incidence in Xinjiang, China.


METHODS
Data analyses were performed on the demographic and risk assessment data collected at screening from high-risk IDUs, defined as anyone who reported injecting drugs at least three times per week in the last month or injected drugs after sharing equipment on at least three occasions in the last three months.


RESULTS
HIV antibody prevalence among 781 IDUs at baseline survey was 29%. The following factors were significantly associated with an increase in risk for HIV infection: age > or =26years (OR=3.16, 95% CI [2.02;4.94]), lack of college education (OR=2.32, 95% CI [1.02;5.25]), frequency of heroin use (OR=1.23, 95% CI [1.02;1.47]) and sharing of rinse water (OR=1.47, 95% CI [1.18;1.84]). Female gender (OR=0.44, 95% CI [0.22;0.86]), being Han vs Uighur ethnicity (OR=0.18, 95% CI [0.11;0.27]), and other race vs Uighur ethnicity (OR=0.23, 95% CI [0.12;0.44]) were significantly associated with a lower risk of HIV infection.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV infection among high risk IDUs in Xinjiang, China is high and is associated with older male Uighur IDUs who lack college education, frequently inject heroin, and/or share rinse water. There is a great potential for HIV transmission from IDUs to the general population. Therefore, related risk behaviors in IDUs, especially their sexual behavior, should be closely monitored.
Zhang
Yuanzhi
Y
Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 Beijing South Road, Urumqi 830011, China.
Shan
Hua
H
Trizzino
Jennifer
J
Ruan
Yuhua
Y
Beauchamp
Geetha
G
Mâsse
Benoît
B
Ma
Jun
J
Gu
Yuan
Y
He
Yixin
Y
Rui
Baoling
B
Wang
Jun
J
Poundstone
Katharine
K
Jiang
Yan
Y
Brooks Jackson
J
J
Shao
Yiming
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002681:China; D003710:Demography; D004493:Education; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology
D015483:HIV Antibodies