title: HIV among injection drug users and their intimate partners in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
abstract: This paper examines prevalence rates of HIV, HCV, and syphilis among a sample of injecting drug users (IDUs) and their heterosexual intimate partners (N = 728) from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The study uses baseline data from Project Renaissance, a couple-based HIV prevention intervention delivered to a couple where one or both partners are IDUs. HIV prevalence rates among female and male IDUs were 28 %. Among the full sample, 75 % had HCV, and 13 % tested positive for the syphilis antibody test. Only 10 % of the sample ever visited a needle exchange program. One-fourth (25.3 %) had never been tested for HIV. One-quarter of those who tested positive were unaware of their status. Being HIV positive was associated with a history of incarceration, being an IDU, and having access to needle exchange programs. The findings call for increasing efforts to improve access to HIV testing, prevention, treatment, and care for IDUs in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
authors.affiliation: Global Health Research Center of Central Asia, Columbia University, 1255 Amsterdam Ave, Room 814, New York, NY 10027, USA. ne5@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Nabila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El-Bassel
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Assel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terlikbayeva
authors.forename: Elwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beyrer
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Mingway
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ismayilova
authors.forename: Marat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tukeyev
authors.forename: Baurzhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhussupov
authors.forename: Yelena
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rozental
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019546:Couples Therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D058872:Epidemics; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000635:transmission; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007623:Kazakhstan; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000635:transmission; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data