title: Risky behaviors for HIV infection among male incarcerated injection drug users in Taiwan: a case-control study.
abstract: Taiwan has experiencing an outbreak of HIV infection among injection drug users (IDUs) since 2003. A case-control study was conducted to determine the behavioral characteristics associated with HIV infection among IDUs. The study identified 120 inmates with HIV infection and 121 matched HIV-negative controls from prisons. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews. The study found 48.1% of IDUs shared needles, less than a half of IDUs reported sexual intercourse before incarceration and only 19.7% used condoms. The multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusted for years of heroin injection, found that HIV infection was independently associated with the use of a used needle or syringe at the latest injection (odds ratio [OR], 8.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.3-20.2, p<0.001), having HIV-infected relatives or friends (OR, 5.7; 95%CI, 2.5-13.2, p<0.001) and sharing containers with others (OR, 3.3; 95%CI, 1.2-8.8, p=0.02). Our findings highlight the importance of needle exchange programs along with HIV-prevention education.
authors.affiliation: Infection Control Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: W-C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: H-C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K-L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: N-Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Ko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult