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Multiple risks for HIV and hepatitis B infection among heroin users
Author(s) -
GOSSOP MICHAEL,
POWIS BEVERLY,
GRIFFITHS PAUL,
STRANG JOHN
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1080/09595239400185391
Subject(s) - heroin , serostatus , medicine , risk factor , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , demography , environmental health , psychiatry , drug , family medicine , sociology , viral load
This study investigates the extent to which heroin users are exposed to multiple forms of infection risk. Structured interviews were administered to a prospective network sample of 408 heroin users. Subjects were contacted in south London in a wide range of social settings by specially recruited privileged access interviewers. Most heroin users (74.5%) had been exposed to more than one infection risk factor and more than half of the sample had been exposed to three or more risk factors. HIV serostatus was primarily related to men having sex with men. Hepatitis B seropositive status was primarily related to the number of years injecting drugs. At this stage of the HIV epidemic in London, HIV infection among heroin users may be related more to homosexual risk behaviour than drug risk factors. Heroin injectors were at greater risk of infection than heroin chasers both through their sexual behaviour as well as through their injecting practices. Heroin users who refused to give a saliva sample for analysis were found to be more likely to engage in several health risk behaviours than those who provided samples. This finding has important methodological implications for seroprevalence surveys. Other implications of the results for prevention programmes aimed at health risk behaviours of heroin users are also discussed. [Gossop M, Powis B, Griffiths P, Strang J. Multiple risks for HIV and hepatitis B infection among heroin users. Drug Alcohol Rev 1994;13:293–300.]