HIV risk behaviors but absence of infection among drug users in detoxification centers outside Yunnan province, China, 1993.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

HIV risk behaviors but absence of infection among drug users in detoxification centers outside Yunnan province, China, 1993.

AIDS. 1995 Aug;9(8):959-63. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96014973
Zheng X; Tian C; Zhang G; Li D; Liu X; Hu DJ; Weniger BG; Dondero TJ; Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Chinese Academy of; Preventive Medicine, Beijing, China.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To date, HIV spread in China has occurred principally among injecting drug users (IDU) in remote border regions of Yunnan province. We therefore sought to better understand the risks for and prevalence of HIV infection among drug users in parts of China outside Yunnan province. METHODS: A behavioral survey of drug use and AIDS-related knowledge was conducted among all consenting drug users who entered treatment from 1 November to 31 December 1993 in seven provincial drug detoxification centers outside Yunnan province. After giving verbal informed consent, all drug users were tested for HIV. RESULTS: Of the 1293 study participants, 207 (16%) reported injecting drugs. The proportion of IDU among all drug users varied widely by region, from 1% in Sha'anxi and Gansu provinces in the northwest region to 58% in Guangxi province in the south. IDU were more likely than non-IDU to be single and unemployed or self-employed, but did not differ in other demographic aspects. Among all drug users, 2% reported sharing needles without cleaning equipment, while 5% shared with some cleaning. Although 1060 (82%) drug users had heard of AIDS and most knew about its sexual (79%), parenteral (77%), and perinatal (60%) modes of transmission, many had misconceptions about its spread by casual contact. Of the 207 IDU tested for HIV, none were HIV-positive (95% confidence interval, 0--1.4). CONCLUSION: The absence of HIV infections detected in this study suggests that the prevalence of HIV is currently low among IDU in China outside the Yunnan province. However, the behavior of these IDU puts them at high risk for HIV infection. Prevention efforts are needed to prevent the spread of HIV among IDU throughout China and to avoid the experience of neighboring countries in Asia.

Keywords: Adolescence Adult China/EPIDEMIOLOGY Data Collection Female Human HIV Infections/*COMPLICATIONS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/TRANSMISSION HIV Seroprevalence Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Male Middle Age Questionnaires Risk-Taking Substance Abuse, Intravenous/*COMPLICATIONS/PSYCHOLOGY/THERAPY JOURNAL ARTICLE
960228
M9621056

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 1996. 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, 1996. 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. .