title: Assessing the effects of drug misuse on HIV/AIDS prevalence.
abstract: Drug misuse (injecting drug users-IDU) has been recognized to have a significant effect on the spread of HIV/AIDS epidemic. A deterministic model to assess the contribution of drug misuse and sex in the spread of HIV/AIDS is investigated. The threshold parameters of the model are determined and stabilities are analysed. Analysis of the reproduction number has shown that increase in drug misuse results in an increase in HIV infections. Furthermore, numerical simulations of the model show that drug misuse enhances HIV transmission and progression to AIDS. Thus, in a population with intravenous drug users, advocating for safe sex alone will not be enough to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of Zimbabwe, Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe. cpbhunu@gmail.com
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Bhunu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mushayabasa
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D003198:Computer Simulation; D055030:Drug Users; D014943:Global Health; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D016485:Needle Sharing; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*