Open AccessA decline in HIV-infected needles returned to New Haven's needle exchange program: client shift or needle exchange?
Author(s) -
Edward H. Kaplan,
Kaveh Khoshnood,
Robert Heimer
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.84.12.1991
Subject(s) - human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , medicine , demography , haven , pandemic , gerontology , covid-19 , virology , sociology , disease , mathematics , combinatorics , infectious disease (medical specialty)
The New Haven needle exchange program experienced a significant decline in the fraction of returned needles containing human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) proviral DNA. Is this decline due to the operations of the needle exchange or to a shift in clients? Analysis of demographic and behavioral data revealed that only one variable, the race of participating clients, changed significantly over time. However, HIV-1 prevalences in needles given to Whites and to non-Whites were not statistically different. Thus, client shift cannot be responsible for the decline in the observed HIV prevalence in needles. Instead, needle circulation times were a significant predictor of HIV prevalence.