Injecting and sexual risk behaviours, sexually transmitted infections and HIV prevalence in injecting drug users in three states in India
Mahanta, J.; Medhi, G.K.; Paranjape, R.S.; Roy, N.; Kohli, A.; Akoijam, B.S.; Dzuvichu, B.; Das, H.K.; Goswami, P.; Thongamba, G.; Deshpande, A.; Amey, S.; Salagare, A.; Risbud, A.; Bhagyashri; More, D.; Pardeshi, D.; Mehetre, G.; Navale, J.; Dale, J.; Kumar, K.; Mainkar, M.; Pore, M.; Panchal, N.; Gupta, R.; Gangakhedkar, R.; Kale, S.; Sachin, P.; Aralkar, S.; Vetal, S.; Kazi, S.; Gaikwad, S.; Jadhav, S.; Deshpande, S.; Zankar, S.; Khatavkar, T.; Joshi, T.; Mahajan, U.; Goud, B.N.; Sesikeran, B
Aids 22(Suppl 5): S59-S68
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 1473-5571 PMID: 19098480 DOI: 10.1097/01.aids.0000343764.62455.9eDocument Number: 204330
To describe and compare sexual and injecting risk behaviours and sexually transmitted infections (STI), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV prevalence in injecting drug users (IDU) in six districts in three states of India: Manipur, Nagaland, and Maharashtra. The respondent-driven sample consisted of 2075 IDU. Consenting participants were administered a structured questionnaire and samples of blood and urine were collected to test for HIV and STI. Data were analysed using RDSAT. In two districts in Manipur, 77 and 98% of IDU injected heroin, whereas the main injecting drug in Nagaland was dextropropoxyphene (99%). In Mumbai/Thane, Maharashtra, the majority of respondents reported using chlorpheniramine (87%) and heroin (99%). In all districts, almost half of IDU reported generally sharing needles and syringes; consistent condom use with non-paid female partners was also low. Approximately one-quarter of IDU in Mumbai/Thane visited a paid partner in the past year. IDU with reactive syphilis serology were higher in Nagaland (7 and 19%) than in Manipur and Maharashtra. HIV in two districts of Manipur (23%, 32%) and Mumbai/Thane (16%) was greater than Nagaland (<2%). HCV prevalence was more than 50% in Mumbai/Thane and Manipur. Irrespective of regional differences, high-risk behaviour of needle sharing and low condom use makes IDU a critical subpopulation for HIV prevention interventions. Interventions need to address the differing drug use patterns in the regions and transmission prevention among non-paid regular and casual female partners of IDU in the northeast districts and paid female partners in Mumbai/Thane.