Risk reduction and stabilization of HIV seroprevalence among drug injectors in New York City and Bangkok, Thailand.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Risk reduction and stabilization of HIV seroprevalence among drug injectors in New York City and Bangkok, Thailand.

Int Conf AIDS. 1991 Jun 16-21;7(1):20 (abstract no. M.C.1). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA7/1000191
DesJarlais DC; Choopanya K; Wenston J; Vanichseni S; Sotheran JL; Plangsringarm K; Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York, USA

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To compare long term and recent trends in HIV seroprevalence and AIDS risk reduction among drug injectors in New York City (NY) and Bangkok (B). METHODS: Data on seroprevalence and risk behavior have been collected by the participating researchers since early in the epidemic in both cities. New subjects were 821 IDUs from NY and 601 IDUs from B were recruited in 1989-90. Recruitment was primarily from drug treatment programs, with special subsamples of new-to-treatment IDUs in B (n = 259), and not-in-treatment IDUs in NY (n = 271). A standardized World Health Organization questionnaire was used and a blood sample collected for HIV testing. Statistics: Chi-square and t-tests were used for bivariate comparisons. Capture/recapture and dynamic population modeling were used to estimate seroconversion rates. RESULTS: IDUs in NY were older, more likely to be female, and more ethnically diverse than in B (all p less than .01). 34% of the IDUs in B were HIV+ and 47% in NYC. Seroprevalence was higher in the regular treatment program samples in both cities (40% in B, 50% in NY) than in the new-to-treatment sample in B (27%) or the not-in-treatment sample in NY (42%), both p less than .01. 90% in B and 76% in NY reported changing behavior to reduce AIDS risk. Seroprevalence among IDUs in B has been stable for 1 year and in NYC for 6 years. Seroconversions were estimated to be 4-8/100 person-years in B and 2-4/100 person years in NY; seroconversions in NY were concentrated among new injectors. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the many cultural differences, large scale behavior change appears to have produced stable seroprevalence with moderate seroconversion rates in both cities. New injectors and IDUs not in treatment appear to be critical for long term prevention programming.

Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*EPIDEMIOLOGY AIDS Serodiagnosis Female Human HIV Seroprevalence/*TRENDS Male New York City/EPIDEMIOLOGY Questionnaires Risk Factors *Substance Abuse, Intravenous Thailand/EPIDEMIOLOGY ABSTRACT
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