HIV infection among injecting drug users in the South Australian methadone program.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate risk factors for infection with HIV among injecting drug users (IDUs) in South Australia. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study comparing HIV-infected and uninfected IDUs who had received methadone at any time between January 1981 and June 1991. RESULTS: Most HIV-infected clients were diagnosed between 1985 and 1987. Men were more likely to be infected than women. A history of imprisonment was associated with a higher risk of infection on univariate but not multivariate analysis. Infected IDUs on average were three years younger than noninfected IDUs when they first injected drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention programs should target young drug injectors. Prisons are important places to institute prevention programs.