Continued spread of HIV among injecting drug users in southern Sichuan Province, China

OBJECTIVE: To estimate HIV prevalence among injecting drug users (IDUs) in a drug trafficking city in southwest Sichuan Province, China. METHODS: A total of 314 IDUs was invited to participate in the cross-sectional survey in 2004 through community outreach recruitment and peer referrals. Blood sample was taken for HIV antibody testing and a structured questionnaire was administered to collect information on socio-demographics, drug using and sexual behaviors. RESULTS: HIV prevalence among IDUs was 17.8% (56/314), about one half higher than that in previous survey in 2002 (11.3%, 43/379). Yi and other minority ethnicity (Odds ratio OR, 3.1; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.7-5.8; P or = 10 times versus none, OR, 7.5; 95% CI, 3.2-17.7; P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for HIV infection. CONCLUSION: IDUs with high prevalence rates of HIV and equipment sharing behavior in the drug trafficking city may serve a source for further spread of HIV to other areas in China. The increasing trend of HIV epidemic among IDUs underscores the urgency of scaling up interventions.