Factors associated with retention in a community-based methadone maintenance treatment among heroin addicts / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore factors associated with retention in a community-based methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) among heroin addicts in Xichang of Sichuan province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All 206 heroin addicts were first admitted to MMT community-based program between March to September 2004. Baseline data of patients characteristics, social function, drug using behaviors, sexual behaviors, dose of methadone and retention were collected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Up to Oct, 2005, all 206 patients contributed 8.98 +/- 5.74 person-months of following-up. The retention rates were 58.7% after 6 months and 34.6% after 12 months respectively. Cox proportional hazard regression model indicated that the employed (HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.39 - 0.92), helping family to do housework in past 30 days more than once a day (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.42 - 0.82) and previous self-detoxification > or = 3 times (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.47 - 0.91) were independently associated with retention.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>We should give individual counseling to help heroin addicts increasing compliance.</p>

A prospective cohort study on human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis seroconversion among injecting drug users / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroconversion, HIV transmission and related risk factors among injecting drug users (IDUs) in an area of Sichuan province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In November 2002, a community-based baseline survey was conducted to recruit 333 HIV-seronegative IDUs for a prospective cohort study in Xichang county of Sichuan province, China. Follow-up visits were carried out every 6 months to study the situation of drug use, sexual behaviors of the IDUs and blood specimens were collected to test for antibodies against HIV and syphilis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>During a 24-month follow-up period, cohort retention rate and HIV incidence were 75.7% and 2.53 per 100 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-3.97)], respectively. Multivariate Poisson regression model showed that risk factors which were significantly associated with HIV seroconversion would include: ethnicity (RR = 12.42; 95% CI: 2.72-56.74, P = 0.0012) and needle or syringe sharing in the past 3 months (RR = 4.06; 95% CI: 1.29-12.81, P = 0.0168). Syphilis seroconversion in this cohort was 4.71 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 2.59-6.82). In multivariate Poisson regression being female (RR = 4.42; 95% CI: 1.78-10.99, P = 0.0014) appeared to be the only factor which was significantly associated with syphilis seroconversion.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our study results showed that there was a rapid transmission of HIV and syphilis among IDUs in Sichuan province, suggesting that effective intervention should be urgently taken.</p>