PMID: 9533232Apr 9, 1998Paper

Risk reduction and intravenous drug use abstinence in patients with HIV infection. The SEROCO group

Revue D'épidémiologie Et De Santé Publique
L MeyerN Carré

Abstract

Little is known about the complex stepwise process of giving up intravenous (i.v.) drugs. However, HIV risk reduction programs directed towards i.v. drug users have been accused by some opponents to encourage users to continue. In order to better assess the relationships between risk reduction and abstinence, we studied factors associated with abstinence in HIV-infected patients using i.v. drugs at enrollment in the SEROCO cohort (1988-1994). 63 HIV-infected patients injecting i.v. drugs at enrollment were followed-up every 6 months with a clinical examination and a questionnaire concerning sexual and drugs practices since last consultation. Abstinence was defined as non injecting for at least 6 months. The 30 patients who became abstinent during a follow-up period of 3 years were compared to the 33 remaining. Abstinence during follow-up was not related to age at inclusion, duration of i.v. drug use, gender or marital status. However, patients who became abstinent were more likely to have a professional activity at inclusion than the remaining (70% vs 42%, p = 0.03). Before knowledge of HIV infection, frequency of injections, needle sharing and use of condoms did not differ between the 2 groups. During follow-up, behavioural ch...Continue Reading

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