title: Correlates of Knowledge of HIV Transmission Among Incident Cases of HIV in a Cohort of Injection Drug Users Receiving Harm Reduction Services at Karachi, Pakistan.
abstract: Knowledge of risk factors for HIV transmission in high-risk population plays a critical role in averting the risk of HIV transmission. In Pakistan, injection drug users (IDUs) constitute the core risk group of HIV prevalence, where the epidemic has transitioned to a "concentrated level." Still nothing is known about the role of knowledge in HIV transmission and HIV sero-conversion among IDUs in Pakistan.
  
  
  
  From 2009 to 2011, a nested case-control study was conducted in a cohort of 636 IDUs receiving harm reduction services in the mega city of Karachi.
  
  
  
  In multivariable regression analysis, 3 factors, namely HIV does not spread through unprotected sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.39-6.90, P value .01), HIV does not transmit by sharing syringes (AOR: 3.5, 95% CI 1.97-6.40, P value <.00), and the risk of HIV cannot be minimized by using new syringe every time (AOR: 2.0, 95% CI 1.16-3.60, P value .01), were significantly associated with the incident cases of HIV.
  
  
  
  The study findings suggest the association between knowledge of HIV transmission and HIV sero-incident cases.
authors.affiliation: 1 World Health Organization, Larkana, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Rab Nawaz
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Samo
authors.affiliation: 2 Bridge Consultants Foundation, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Arshad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altaf
authors.affiliation: 2 Bridge Consultants Foundation, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sharaf Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission*; D040261:Harm Reduction; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*; D047568:Unsafe Sex; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: AIDS; HIV; IDUs; harm reduction; knowledge