Abstract
The purpose of the study was to determine heroin dependence and risky behaviors associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among newly incarcerated injection drug users (IDUs). Three self-administrated questionnaires were collected among 450 newly incarcerated male heroin users during 2005-2007. Inmates were categorized as heroin-dependent if they met three or more of the six ICD-10 criteria. Heroin-dependent inmates had higher scores of bloodborne virus transmission risk than non-dependent IDUs (12.8 ± 16.0 vs. 7.2 ± 11.5, p < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that heroin dependence was a significant moderator of the association between risky injection behaviors and HIV infection. It is crucial to integrate substance treatment with behavioral interventions into harm reduction programs to prevent bloodborne virus transmission among IDUs.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 591-598 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Substance Use and Misuse |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2011 Mar 15 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Health(social science)
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Psychiatry and Mental health