Authors: Abel-Ollo, K.¹; Rahu, M.²; Rajaleid, K.³; Talu, A.¹; Ruutel, K.⁴; Platt, L.⁵; Bobrova, N.⁶; Rhodes, T.⁵; Uuskula, A.⁷

Source: AIDS Care, Volume 21, Number 7, July 2009 , pp. 851-857(7)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Abstract:

We used the findings from two, cross-sectional studies of HIV serostatus and risk behaviours to assess the effects of knowledge of HIV serostatus and risk behaviours (relating to sex and injection drug use) among injecting drug users (IDUs). Respondent-driven sampling was used simultaneously at two sites in Estonia (the capital Tallinn, and the second-largest city of Ida-Virumaa County, Kohtla-Jarve). The research tool was an interviewer-administered survey. Biological samples were collected for HIV testing. Participants were categorised into three groups based on HIV testing results and self-report on HIV serostatus: HIV-negative (n=133); HIV-positive unaware of their serostatus (n=75); and HIV-positive aware of their serostatus (n=168). In total, 65% of the participants tested positive for HIV. Of those 69% were aware of their positive serostatus. HIV-positive IDUs aware of their serostatus exhibited more risk behaviours than their HIV-positive counterparts unaware of their serostatus or HIV-negative IDUs. Effective prevention of HIV among IDUs should therefore, include programmes to reduce high-risk sexual and drug use behaviours at the public health scale and enhanced prevention efforts focusing on HIV-infected individuals.

Keywords: injecting drug use; HIV; knowledge of HIV serostatus; risk behaviour; voluntary counselling and testing

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540120802657522

Affiliations: 1: Estonian Drug Monitoring Centre, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia,Department of Public Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia 2: Estonian Centre of Excellence in Behavioural and Health Sciences, Tartu-Tallinn, Estonia,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia 3: CHESS, Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden 4: Department of Public Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia,Estonian Centre of Excellence in Behavioural and Health Sciences, Tartu-Tallinn, Estonia,Department of Health Strategy and Planning, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia 5: Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London, UK 6: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK 7: Department of Public Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia,Estonian Centre of Excellence in Behavioural and Health Sciences, Tartu-Tallinn, Estonia

Publication date: 2009-07-01

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