TY - JOUR
T1 - Injecting and sexual risk correlates of HBV and HCV seroprevalence among new drug injectors
AU - Neaigus, Alan
AU - Gyarmathy, V. Anna
AU - Miller, Maureen
AU - Frajzyngier, Vera
AU - Zhao, Mingfang
AU - Friedman, Samuel R.
AU - Jarlais, Don C.Des
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was funded by the United States National Institute on Drug Abuse, grant DA09920 “Non-injecting heroin users, new injectors and HIV risk” (Principal Investigator: Alan Neaigus). We would like to thank Gilbert Ildefonso, Stephen J. Sifaneck, Peter Blasko, Jesse de Jesus and other members of the research staff for recruiting participants and data collection, as well as those who agreed to participate in the study.
PY - 2007/7/10
Y1 - 2007/7/10
N2 - We examine injecting and sexual risk correlates of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) seroprevalence among new injecting drug users (IDUs) (age 18-30 years, injecting ≤6 years). Participants were interviewed/serotested (HIVab, HBVcAb, HCVab) in New York City, February 1999-February 2003. Gender-stratified, multivariate logistic regression was conducted. Participants (N = 259) were: 68% male; 81% white. Women were more likely to test HCV seropositive (42% versus 27%) and men HBV seropositive (24% versus 12%); HIV seroprevalence was low (3%). Among both men and women, HBV seropositivity was associated with ever selling sex, and HCV seropositivity with ever having had infected (HIV, HBV or HCV) sex partners (among those ever sharing injecting equipment). Among women only, HBV seropositivity was associated with ever having had infected sex partners (regardless of ever sharing injecting equipment), and HCV seropositivity with ≥300 lifetime drug injections. Among men only, HCV seropositivity was associated with ≥40 lifetime number of sex partners (among those never sharing injecting equipment). In this new IDU sample, HBV and HCV seroprevalence differed by gender and were considerably higher than HIV seroprevalence. Early interventions, targeting injecting and sexual risks and including HBV vaccination, are needed among new IDUs to prevent HBV, HCV and, potentially, HIV epidemics.
AB - We examine injecting and sexual risk correlates of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) seroprevalence among new injecting drug users (IDUs) (age 18-30 years, injecting ≤6 years). Participants were interviewed/serotested (HIVab, HBVcAb, HCVab) in New York City, February 1999-February 2003. Gender-stratified, multivariate logistic regression was conducted. Participants (N = 259) were: 68% male; 81% white. Women were more likely to test HCV seropositive (42% versus 27%) and men HBV seropositive (24% versus 12%); HIV seroprevalence was low (3%). Among both men and women, HBV seropositivity was associated with ever selling sex, and HCV seropositivity with ever having had infected (HIV, HBV or HCV) sex partners (among those ever sharing injecting equipment). Among women only, HBV seropositivity was associated with ever having had infected sex partners (regardless of ever sharing injecting equipment), and HCV seropositivity with ≥300 lifetime drug injections. Among men only, HCV seropositivity was associated with ≥40 lifetime number of sex partners (among those never sharing injecting equipment). In this new IDU sample, HBV and HCV seroprevalence differed by gender and were considerably higher than HIV seroprevalence. Early interventions, targeting injecting and sexual risks and including HBV vaccination, are needed among new IDUs to prevent HBV, HCV and, potentially, HIV epidemics.
KW - Drug injectors
KW - HBV
KW - HCV
KW - HIV
KW - Injecting risk
KW - Sexual risk
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U2 - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.01.003
DO - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.01.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 17289298
AN - SCOPUS:34248525496
SN - 0376-8716
VL - 89
SP - 234
EP - 243
JO - Drug and alcohol dependence
JF - Drug and alcohol dependence
IS - 2-3
ER -