ABSTRACT
Background: It is unclear whether knowing of current HIV status is associated with change injecting behaviors among people who inject drugs [PWID] in Iran. The objective of the prese study was to determine whether awareness of HIV positive status is associated with a reductn in injecting risk behaviors, after matching for socio-demographic characteristics
Methods: Five hundred male PWID were recruited in 2014 from two drop-in centers [DICs] Kermanshah west of Iran
Trained interviewers collected data on socio-demograp characteristics, HIV testing and drug-related risk behaviors over the last month prior to intervi using a structured questionnaire
Our primary exposure of interest was awareness of HIV sts used to group participants into three categories: positive, negative, unaware. We u coarsened exact matching to make the three groups statistically equivalent based on age, pi of residence, education and income, and then compared them regarding the proportior borrowing, lending and reuse of syringes
Results: Matched sample [n=320] had a mean age +/- standard deviation [SD] of 33.5 +/-7J Overall, 25% [95% Cl: 14%, 32%] of participants reported [borrowing a syringe] in the month and 15% [95% Cl: 7%, 22%] of them reported [lending a used syringe] to others ii past month. In comparison to PWID who were unaware of their HIV status, those knew were HIV positive [OR 1.68, CI95%1.32-2.81] or negative [OR 1.54; 95% Cl: 1.28, 2.71] both more likely to report borrowing syringes in past month
Conclusions: PWID WHO know they are positive for H//V are more likely to borrow are person's syringe, to report reuse of their own used syringes and less likely to report lending syringes to others. Strategies to scale up HIV testing and counseling for PWID, whicl increase awareness of HIV status, may decrease injecting related the risk behaviors