A. Dorman, E. Keenan, C. Schuttler, 3. Merry, J. J. O'Connor
The Drug Treatment Centre Board, McCarthy Centre, 30/31 Pearse Street, Dublin
2.
The aim of the study was to measure HIV prevalence and risk
behaviour in 185 irish Intravenous Drug Misusers. information
was obtained by application of a standardised WHO questionnaire
covering HIV risk behaviour in the preceding 6 months. HIV serostatus
was obtained by salival blood sample testing.
One hundred and 3(55.7 per cent) shared and 114 (61.6 per cent) lent used injecting
equipment in the previous 6 months. 97 (94.2 per cent) of those who shared
always cleaned the needles before use but only 48 (49.5 per cent) of these
always cleaned in an efflcient manner.
One hundred
and 14(79.2 per cent) males and 28 (68.3 per cent) females
reported heterosexual activity in the preceding 6 months. On
examination se%ual risk behaviour was found to be high. 50.5
per cent of males and 63 per cent of females never used condoms
with regular partners. 32.6 per cent of males never used condoms
with casual partners.
The large
majority of partners of male I.D.U'.s (both regular and casual)
were non injectors.
Therefore there is potential for ~"xual spread of HIV
into the non-injecting heterosexual population.
Conversely the vast majority of partners of female IDU's were injectors. This
suggests that female
IDU's are at higher risk of IIIV infection than their male counterparts. HIV
prevalence in the study group was 8.4 per cent. Implications of results for
future intervention are discussed.
In Europe injecting drug users are the largest
group of registered cases of Aids1. While HIV infection among Intravenous
Drug Users is mainly transmitted through syringe sharing it is primarily a sexually
transmitted disease2.
Drug injectors have reduced their sharing of injecting
equipment in response to a wide variety of Aids prevention programmes including
syringe exchanges and substance misuse treatment programmes but changing sexual
risk behaviour has been considerably more difficult3. Various studies
have shown a reduction in needle sharing and intravenous use over time4,5,6,7.
Sexual behaviour does not appear to have changed with the advent of H.I.V., with
the majority of injecting drug users being sexually active and condom use remaining
low~~9~'0. Limited changes in sexual risk behaviour have been noted though in
some studies""2.
A high proportion of drug injector's partners (especially
partners of male injectors) are non-injectors and concetn has been raised about
the significant sexual risk of H.I.V. transmission to this group and the lack
of care/counselling this group is receiving'3'9.
In the Republic of Ireland Intravenous Drug Abuse
is the largest risk category for HIV with 49 per cent of cumulative HIV positive
cases being injecting drug users'4. There has been a major expansion of treatment
services in the 199()s in Ireland upon the publication of The Government Strategy
to Prevent Drug Misuse 1991'~ and National Aids Strategy Committee report l992
Correspondence to:
Dr. Arthur Dorman
Treatment
places and syringe exchanges have increased and there is easy
availability of condoms. in 1991 Johnson found a HIV prevalence
of 14.8 per cent amongst attenders at a Dublin needle exchange
with high levels of unsafe injecting and sexual risk behaviour17.
Other recent HIV prevalence figures in the British Isles are
12.8 per cent in London, 1.8 per cent in Glasgow and 20.4 per
cent in Edinburgh
This study reports on HIV prevalence and injecting and sexual risk behaviour
in a group of Dublin I.D.U.'s. implications and problems for future intervention
are discussed.
Blood and
saliva samples were obtained for the purposes of anonymous
HIV testing. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects
for participation in the study
Sample characteristics - The 185 subjects recruited comprised
100 "in treatment" and 85 "out of treatment" individuals.
In terms of gender, 144 (77.8 per cent) were male and 41 (22.2
per cent) female. Their mean age was 24 yr and mean age of first
injecting was 18 yr of age. One hundred and 70 (91.9 per cent)
were unemployed, 109 (58.9 per cent) relied mainly on illegal
income to support their habit and 124 (67.0 per cent) had a history
of imprisonment.
Over half the respondents, 103 (55.7 per cent), reported
sharing used injecting equipment in the proceeding 6 months.
A supplernentary question then asked about lending injecting
equipment and 114 (61.6 per cent) of the subjects reported
giving their own used needle to another I.D.U. within the
last 6 muiiths. For those I.D.U. who had shared used injecting
equipment additional questions were asked related to the
frequency of sharing and cleaning such needles before use
(Table I)
|
|
|
Table
I - Results
Frequency of sharing used equipment and
cleaning equipment before use (n = 103)
|
|
|
|
|
No |
% |
|
|
|
How
often shared used equipment |
|
|
|
|
|
Always |
4 |
3.9 |
Usually |
11 |
10.7 |
Half
the time |
18 |
17.5 |
Sometimes |
69 |
67.0 |
D.K/D.R. |
1 |
1.0 |
|
|
|
How
often cleaned before use |
|
|
|
|
|
Always |
97 |
94.2 |
Usually |
1 |
1.9 |
Half
the time |
0 |
0.0 |
Sometimes |
3 |
2.9 |
Never |
1 |
1.0 |
D.K. |
0 |
0.0 |
|
|
|
Thus 97 (94.2
per cent) of I.D.U.'s who shared injecting equipment reported
that they always cleaned it pri6r to use. However 49(50.5 percent)
of these I.D.U's were not always cleaning in an efficient manner
(i.e. bleach and boiling water). See Table II.
|
|
|
Table
II - Cleaning method for
those who always clean (n = 97)
|
|
|
|
|
No |
% |
|
|
|
Always
Efficient |
48 |
49.5 |
Not
Always Efficient |
49 |
50.5 |
|
|
|
Sexual Risk
Behaviour - Respondents were asked about sexual activity in
the preceding 6 months.
From the
144 males, 114 (79.2per cent) reported heterosexual activity
and 30 (20.8 per cent) reported no sexual activity. For the
41 females 28 (68.3 per cent) reported heterosexual activity,
12 (29.3 per cent) reported no activity and 1(2.4 per cent)
reported prostitution. There was no reported homosexual activity.
Those subjects
reporting heterosexual activity were then asked abdut their
partners, whether they were regular or casual. A regular partner
was defined as someone with whom they had been in a sexual
relationship with for at least three months. Ninty-two (80.7
per cent) males had one regular partner in the preceding 6
months and 1 (0.9 per cent) male had two regular partners.
Forty-six (40.4 per cent) males had casual partner(s) in the
preceding 6 months. Twenty-six (92.9 per cent) females had
one regular partner in the preceding 6 months and 4 (14.3 per
cent) had casual partner(s)
Table III shows condom use with partners. 50.5 per cent
of males and 63 per cent of females never used condoms with regular
partners. 9nly 20.4 per cent of males always used condoms with
regular partners.
When asked about condom use with casual partners the rate was somewhat improved.
32.6 per cent of males never used condoms with casual partners and 23.9 per
cent always used condoms with casual partners. However for the female I.D.U's
too much cannot be extrapolated from the data as only 4 females reported casual
partners.
In looking at injecting status of sexual partner, information was only available
on 104 of the 114 males who were heterosexually active and 26 out of the 29
females who were heterosexually active.
Out of these, 83 males and 24 females reported regular partners in the proceeding
6 months (1 male had 2 regular partners). 23.8 per cent (20 out of 84). of
the regular partners of male IDU's were injectors while 91.7 per cent (22 ouL
of 24) of the regular partners of female IDU's were injectors. Female IDU's
were significantly more likely to have a regular partner who also injected
(x--39.6 P<0.0l)
Turning
our attention to casual sexual partners in th( proceeding 6
months, 41 males and 4 females reportec casual partners. In
view of the small numbers of female reporting casual partners
little information can be obtainel from comparing the male
and female I.D.U.'s. Howeve for the 41 male I.D.U.'s, 13 had
injecting casual partner and 34 had non injecting casual partners
(patients ma have more than one casual partner).
From this
data we therefore observe that the mal intravenous drug users
are commonly involved in sexual relationships with non~injecting
partners on both a regul' and a casual basis. The female is
much less likely to ha' a regular partner who does not inject
drugs.
One hundred
and eighty out of 185 IDU's agreed HIV testing. The HIV prevalence
was 8.4 per cent.
Table
III
Condom use with partners
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regular |
Casual |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Male
(N=93) |
Female
(N=27)* |
Male
(N=46) |
Female
(N=4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number |
% |
Number |
% |
Number |
% |
Number |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Always |
19 |
20.4 |
4 |
14.8 |
11 |
23.9 |
2 |
50 |
Usually |
5 |
5.4 |
0 |
00.0 |
5 |
10.9 |
0 |
0 |
Half
the time |
4 |
4.3 |
0 |
00.0 |
6 |
13.0 |
0 |
0 |
Sometimes |
18 |
19.4 |
6 |
22.2 |
9 |
19.6 |
0 |
0 |
Never |
47 |
50.5 |
17 |
63.0 |
15 |
32.6 |
2 |
50 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*lncludes
one prostitute with regular partner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Numerous studies have shown a reduction in injecting risk behaviour in I.D.U.'s
since the recognition of HIVI AIDS. The results of this study still show
high levels of sharing and lending of used injecting equipment in the previous
6 months. It is difficult to compare these results with Johnson (1991) as
the time period over which risk behaviour was assessed was shorter. Their
study noted that 47.4 per cent lent used needle and 48.7 per cent shared
used needles in the previous 28 days 17
To their credit almost all I.D.U's who shared used equipment attempted to clean
it before use but it is of concern that only approximately half always cleaned
efficiently. A similar trend was noted in Glasgow and London I.D.U.'s8. Because
of the high level of inefficiency in cleaning we would feel that I.D.U's should
only receive one message regarding reducing injecting risk behaviour i.e. only
use new injecting equipment.
As in previous studies heterosexual activity is high with the majority of I.D.U.'s
being sexually active in the preceding 6 months9. Condom use was low, particularly
with regular partners. Half the males and almost two thirds of females never
used condoms with their regular partners while a third of males never used condoms
with casual partners. Therefore the potential for sexual transmission of HIV
is high.
Previous studies have shown low condom use in I.D.U's and noted that changing
sexual risk behaviour has been more difficult to achieve than needle sharing
behaviour2. Johnson et al found that in Dublin needle exchange attenders in 1991
29.5 per cent never used condoms and 23.9 per cent always used condoms in heterosexual
activity in the previous 28 days'7.
A large majority of the partners of male I.D.U's (both casual and regular partners)
were non injectors. There is thereforethe potential for sexual mixing of I.D.U.'s
and the non injecting heterosexual population where unprotected sex may be the
only risk factor. Moss suggested that drug users are the source of at least three
quarters of cases of heterosexual transmission of H.I.V. in the U.S.'9 In the
U.K. a drug injecting partner is reported in over 60 per cent of first generation
cases of heterosexual transmission of H.I.V.20. With low condom use in the group
as a whole one has to be concerned with the potential of H.I.V.
transmission to the non-injecting heterosexual population (especially females)
in Ireland. Previous research has highlighted this concern8. The high levels
of heterosexual risk behaviour and high numbers of non-injecting partners has
prompted much comment in recent times and it has been suggested that drug treatment
agencies are not fully addressing sexual risk behaviour in I.D.U's and partners
and therefore a broader outreach approach should be implemented2'9. White pointed
out that non using partners of I.D.U.'s do not generally receive care from drug
treatment or other agencies and it is therefore likely that issues surrounding
their sexual health are not addressed13. It would be important to debate the
situation within Irish treatment settings.
Male injectors are likely to be in a sexual relationship with non injecting women
while injecting women are more likely to be in a relationship with injecting
men2. The results of this study are in keeping with this. This suggests that
female I.D.U's are at greater HIV risk than their male counterparts21. Saxon
noted that having a sexual partner who is also an I.D.U. increases the risk for
I.V. use and sharing equipment and makes risk reduction less likely5. Therefore
in treatment and counselling female I.D.U.'s should perhaps be focused upon as
a group particularly prone to HIV risk behaviour.
The HIV prevalence in the group was 8.4 per cent which is lower than the figure
of 14.8 per cent obtained by Johnson in Dublin needle exchange attenders in 1991".
One reason for this lower prevalence would be an expected fall in risk behaviour
since the introduction of extensive harm reduction programmes to Dublin in the
early 1990's. Unfortunately it is difficult to compare the risk behaviour rates
in the two studies as the time period over which risk behaviour was measured
was different - the preceding 28 days in Johnson's study compared with the preceding
6 months in the present study. The prevalence rate in our study may be a better
estimate of HIV prevalence in Dublin as the sample size was larger than Johnson's
and the IDU's were recruited from a number of sources both in treatment and out
of treatment.
The level of HIV prevalence with the levels of risk behaviour show the potential
for spread of H.!.V. and indicates that much work is yet to be done to attempt
to minimise the spread of HIV within Ireland.
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European Centre for the Epidemiological Monitoring of Aids.
Quarterly Report No 47. HIV/AIDS Surveillance in Europe. 1995/3.
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1992; 87: 405-416.
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1992; 87: 347-353.
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9.
Rhodes, T., Donoghue, M. et al. Sexual behaviour of drug injectors
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13.
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15.
Department of Health (Ireland) - Government Strategy To Prevent
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16.
Aids Strategy Committee Report - 1992 Department of Health
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Bath, G. E., Dominy, N. et al. Injecting drug users Edinburgh
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