       Document 0269
 DOCN  M9620269
 TI    [Prevalence of HIV infection among drug users in Zuid-Limburg]
 DT    9602
 AU    Wiessing LG; Houweling H; Meulders WA; Cerda E; Jansen M; Sprenger MJ;
       Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, Centrum voor;
       Infectieziekten Epidemiologie, Bilthoven.
 SO    Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1995 Sep 23;139(38):1936-40. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/96010944
 AB    OBJECTIVES. To assess the prevalence of HIV infection among intravenous
       (IDU) and non-intravenous drug users in Heerlen and Maastricht (Southern
       Netherlands), to detect subgroups of IDU with a higher risk of HIV
       infection, and to assess the risk of further spread of HIV. DESIGN.
       Cross-sectional study. SETTING. Heerlen, Kerkrade, Brunssum and
       Maastricht, the Netherlands. METHODS. Between August 15 and November 25,
       1994, a saliva specimen and a short questionnaire were obtained from 449
       drug users (340 IDU) in Heerlen (and environs) and Maastricht.
       Participants were recruited through methadone care (54%), syringe
       exchange (16%), a street prostitution project (3%), street recruitment
       (23%) and other drug users (4%). RESULTS. Of the 340 IDU 33 were
       infected (prevalence: 10% (95% confidence interval: 7-13)), among the
       109 non-IDU no infections were found (0% (0-3)). IDU making use of the
       syringe exchange had a higher prevalence (odds ratio 3.13 (1.37-7.61)).
       In logistic regression analysis, this finding could not be explained by
       selection on more risky injecting. One in five currently injecting IDU
       reported having used someone else's used needle or syringe in the last 6
       months. One in five IDU had a non-drug user as steady sexual partner. In
       sexual contacts between steady partners condom use was low. On the basis
       of self-reported serostatus it appeared that some infections have taken
       place in the last two years. CONCLUSIONS. The prevalence of HIV
       infections among IDU in Heerlen and Maastricht is about 10%. IDU using
       the syringe exchange have a higher prevalence. This means this
       prevention reaches the high-risk group, but probably can not avoid all
       infections. The risk of further spread among IDU is high. The risk of
       spread to non-IDU and non-drug users is present.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  AIDS Serodiagnosis/METHODS  English Abstract
       Epidemiologic Methods  Female  Human  HIV Antibodies/ISOLATION & PURIF
       HIV Infections/*COMPLICATIONS/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Male  Middle Age
       Netherlands/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Prevalence  Questionnaires  Risk-Taking
       Saliva/IMMUNOLOGY  Substance Abuse/*COMPLICATIONS  Substance Abuse,
       Intravenous/*COMPLICATIONS  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

