Forthcoming study says 3 of 4 new HIV infections are drug-related. Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5023.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Forthcoming study says 3 of 4 new HIV infections are drug-related. Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5023.

AIDS Policy Law. 1995 Mar 24;10(5):1-2. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE AIDS/95700232

Abstract: According to an unpublished study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drug use is linked to nearly three-quarters of new HIV infections. Many of the infections are a result of sharing contaminated needles, but an increasing number are linked to crack cocaine addicts and other drug users who contract HIV through unprotected sex and pass the virus on to others the same way. According to researcher Dr. Scott Holmberg, as many as half of the new infections among heterosexuals are a result of crack cocaine use. Holmberg's findings present a different picture of the epidemic from what the CDC's AIDS caseload reports show. CDC statistics show that roughly half of the people diagnosed with AIDS in 1994 were gay or bisexual men, including some who injected drugs. Injection drug use among heterosexuals was the second largest category. However, those figures reflect infections that occurred perhaps eight or ten years ago. Holmberg's data and analyses involve new infections, those that took place in 1994. Researchers and activists speculate that the study could alter government policies on preventing HIV and drug abuse.

Keywords: Bisexuality Crack Cocaine Diacetylmorphine Female Health Policy Homosexuality, Male Human HIV Infections/COMPLICATIONS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/TRANSMISSION Male Substance Abuse, Intravenous/*COMPLICATIONS NEWSLETTER ARTICLE
951030
M95A0952

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Gill Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Quest Diagnostics, Roche and Trimeris, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1995. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 1995. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .