Using a jail-based survey to monitor HIV and risk behaviors among Seattle area injection drug users.

Routine monitoring of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and risk behaviors among injection drug users (IDUs) is difficult outside drug treatment settings. We developed and implemented a survey of recently arrested IDUs to describe the prevalence of HIV, drug use, and sexual behaviors among them. A probability sampling survey was instituted in the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle, Washington, to sample recently arrested IDUs at the time of booking and in the jail health clinic between 1998 and 1999. Following HIV risk assessment and blood draw, additional information on drug use practices was gathered using a standardized questionnaire. Potential participants who were released from jail early could complete the study at a nearby research storefront office. Of the 4,344 persons intercepted at booking, 503 (12%) reported injection drug use, and 201 of the IDUs (40%) participated in the study. An additional 161 IDUs were enrolled in the study from the jail health clinic. Among the 348 unduplicated subjects, HIV prevalence was 2%; in the past 6 months, 69% reported two or more shooting partners, 72% used a cooker after someone else, 60% shared a syringe to divide up drugs, and 62% injected with used needles. Only 37% reported being hepatitis C seropositive, and 8% reported hepatitis B vaccination. It was feasible to conduct a jail-based survey of recently arrested IDUs that yielded useful information. The high prevalence of reported risky drug use practices warrants ongoing monitoring and illustrates the need for improving prevention programs for HIV and hepatitis B and C in this population, including expansion of hepatitis C screening and provision of hepatitis B vaccination at the jail health clinic.

Incidence of HIV among injection drug users entering drug treatment programs in four US cities.

We estimated seroincidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and prevalence of risk behaviors among injection drug users (IDUs) who accepted voluntary HIV testing on entry to drug treatment. Record-based incidence studies were conducted in 12 drug treatment programs in New York City (n = 890); Newark, New Jersey (n = 521); Seattle, Washington (n = 1,256); and Los Angeles, California (n = 733). Records of confidential HIV tests were abstracted for information on demographics, drug use, and HIV test results. More detailed data on risk behaviors were obtained by a standardized questionnaire. Although overall incidence rates were relatively low in this population (<1/100 person-years), there was a high prevalence of risk behaviors. Needle sharing was reported by more than one-third of the participants in each of the cities. HIV seroincidence rates were up to three-fold higher among younger ID Us. We found that HIV continued to be transmitted among ID Us who had received both drug treatment and HIV counseling and testing. HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) prevention education should continue to be an important component of drug treatment.

Methadone treatment and HIV and hepatitis B and C risk reduction among injectors in the Seattle area.

Drug treatment has the potential to reduce incidence of blood-borne infections by helping injection drug users (IDUs) achieve abstinence or by decreasing the frequency of injection and sharing practices. We studied the associations between retention in methadone treatment and drug use behaviors and incidence of hepatitis B and C in a cohort of IDUs in the Seattle, Washington, area. Data on IDUs entering methadone treatment at four centers in King County, Washington, were collected through face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire at baseline and 12-month follow-up between October 1994 and January 1998. Blood specimens were obtained and tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B and C. Drug treatment status at follow-up was analyzed in relation to study enrollment characteristics and potential treatment outcomes, including injection risk behaviors, cessation or reduced frequency of injection, and incidence of hepatitis B and C. Of 716 IDUs, 292 (41%) left treatment, 198 (28%) disrupted (left and returned) treatment, and 226 (32%) continued treatment throughout the 1-year follow-up period. Compared to those who left treatment, subjects who disrupted or continued were less likely to inject at follow-up (odds ratio [OR] = 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.7; and OR = 0.1, 95% CI 0.1-0.2, respectively). Among the 468 (65%) subjects who continued injecting, those who continued treatment injected less frequently, were less likely to pool money to buy drugs (OR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.8) and inject with used needles (OR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.2-0.8) compared to those who left treatment. Cooker or cotton sharing was not associated with retention in treatment, but hepatitis B incidence was lowest among those who continued treatment. The results of this study suggest drug use risk reduction is more likely to be achieved by those who remain in drug treatment and by those who stop injecting, but that those who drop out and return and those who continue to inject while in treatment may also benefit. This supports the role of consistent drug treatment in an overall harm-reduction strategy.

High HIV seroprevalence associated with gonorrhea: New York City Department of Health, sexually transmitted disease clinics, 1990-1997.

OBJECTIVE: To measure trends in HIV seroprevalence associated with gonorrhea in patients presenting to New York City Department of Health sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics, 1990-1997 (n = 94 577). METHOD: Unlinked HIV-1 serosurvey using remnant serum originally drawn for routine serologic tests for syphilis (STS). Demographic, risk factor, clinical and laboratory data were abstracted from clinic charts. No other data sources were used. Patients were not interviewed. RESULTS: During 1990-1997 HIV seroprevalence declined from 9 to 6% (P for trend < 0.01) in the STD clinic sample. Gonorrhea incidence city-wide declined from 481 per 100 000 to 194 per 100 000. HIV seroprevalence in patients with a diagnosis of gonorrhea (n = 11 914) remained stable at 10-11% during the period, whereas HIV seroprevalence associated with all other STDs combined declined from 8 to 5% (P for trend < 0.01). Seroprevalence in women with gonorrhea (n = 2243) declined from 8 to 4% (P for trend < 0.001), whereas seroprevalence in men with gonorrhea was stable at 11-12%. Seroprevalence in men aged less than 25 years and diagnosed with gonorrhea declined from 5 to 3% (P for trend = 0.02). In contrast, in men aged 25 years and older and diagnosed with gonorrhea, seroprevalence remained at 14-16% throughout the period 1990-1997. Among men with gonorrhea, seroprevalence was associated with same gender or bisexual contact [odds ratio (OR), 9.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 8.1-10.4], age > 25 years (OR, 5.1; 95% CI, 4.6-5.7), and white race/ethnicity (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4). CONCLUSIONS: In this 9-year serosurvey the association between HIV and gonorrhea remained strong during a period when HIV seroprevalence and gonorrhea incidence declined. The data suggest that a gonorrhea diagnosis is an important risk marker in this era of 'safe sex' and that behavior patterns of patients with gonorrhea warrant further study.

HIV seroprevalence in hospital patients in rural Georgia.

To determine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroprevalence among hospital patients in three rural community-based hospitals in southern Georgia, we anonymously tested patients 15 to 54 years old for antibodies to HIV-1 from residual blood specimens collected for routine diagnostic purposes. Data collected included age, sex, race, hospital service, presenting condition, physician's knowledge of HIV infection status, and discharge diagnosis. Of 1319 patients tested, seven (0.5%, 95% confidence interval = 0.2% to 1.1%) had antibodies to HIV-1. Of those seven, five had HIV infection unsuspected by their physicians, and four had an infectious disease. HIV seroprevalence was 0.5% for both men and women, 1.0% for blacks, and 0.3% for whites. HIV-positive patients were found on all hospital services. These results suggest that in rural southern Georgia hospitals, HIV should be routinely considered in the differential diagnosis of conditions that may be related to HIV. In addition, these data demonstrate a need for medical services or referral networks for HIV-related illnesses and a need for continuing HIV counseling and testing offered by local health departments in rural southern Georgia.