Club-based drug use and its associated risk factors among HIV-positive methadone maintenance treatment clients / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To describe club-based drug use and to explore the determinants on those HIV-positive methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study was conducted in 5 MMT clinics in Yunnan province and 612 MMT clients who met the survey criteria were recruited for the study. Urine sample was tested as a biological marker to identify if heroin, methamphetamine, methylene-dioxy-methyl-amphetamine, buprenorphine or benzodiazepine had been used.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The average age among the 612 clients was 38.9 ± 6.3 years. Among these, 78.9% were males, with the average years of education as 8.0 ± 3.4 years. There were 60.5% clients who had good relationship with their families. 153 (25.0%) clients reported having used club-related drugs in the last 12 months. Results from the urine test showed that the positive rate on morphine was 14.4%, while the positive rate for club-related drugs was 26.6%. Factors as residential area, casual sexual partners, retention on MMT and occasionally use of heroin were associated with urine results on club-related drugs and the prevalence of self-reported club drug use (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Club-related drug use was common among HIV-positive MMT clients. Inspection and supervision for club-related drugs and the education and intervention programs on related high risk behaviors should be strengthened.</p>