Large sharing networks and unusual injection practices explain the rapid rise in HIV among IDUs in Sargodha, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Of the nearly 100,000 street-based IDUs in Pakistan, 20% have HIV. We investigated the recent rise in HIV prevalence from 12 to 52% among IDUs in Sargodha despite > 70% coverage with syringe exchanges. METHODS: We interviewed approximately 150 IDUs and 30 outreach workers in focus group discussions. RESULTS: We found six rural and 28 urban injecting locations. Urban locations have about 20-30 people at any time and about 100 daily; rural locations have twice as many (national average: 4-15). About half of the IDUs started injecting within the past 2 years and are not proficient at injecting themselves. They use street injectors, who have 15-16 clients daily. Heroin is almost exclusively the drug used. Most inject 5-7 times daily.Nearly all injectors claim to use fresh syringes. However, they load, inject and share using a locally developed method called scale. Most Pakistani IDUs prefer to double pump drug the syringe, which allows mixing of blood with drug in the syringe. The injector injects 3 ml and keeps 2 ml (the scale) as injection fee. The injector usually pools all the leftover scale (now with some blood mixed with drug) either for his own use or to sell it. Most IDUs backload the scale they buy into their own fresh syringes. DISCUSSION: Use of an unprecedented method of injecting drugs that largely bypasses fresh syringes, larger size of sharing networks, higher injection frequency and near universal use of street injectors likely explain for the rapid rise in HIV prevalence among IDUs in Sargodha despite high level provision of fresh syringes. This had been missed by us and the national surveillance, which is quantitative. We have addressed this by hiring injectors as peer outreach workers and increasing syringe supply. Our findings highlight both the importance of qualitative research and operations research to enrich the quality of HIV prevention programs.

Factors associated with an explosive HIV epidemic among injecting drug users in Sargodha, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: During a routine surveillance round, an extremely high prevalence of 51.3% was found among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Sargodha, a small town in Pakistan. This sharp increase of HIV among this group warranted an urgent need to explore the factors leading toward this explosion of HIV infection among IDUs at this very location to direct the policy makers in designing preventive activities, especially in the context of HIV prevention. METHODS: In 2007, 400 current IDUs were recruited through multistage cluster sampling based on mapping studies. Participants provided dried blood spot samples for HIV testing and completed a questionnaire on demographic characteristics and sexual/drug injecting behaviors. Logistic regression was used to examine the independent association of multiple variables with HIV infection. RESULTS: Of the 400 IDUs tested, 205 (51.3%) were HIV positive confirmed through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. In multivariate analysis, geographical location of IDUs [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.4 for IDUs located in the northern zone vs southern zone, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5 to 3.7], injected in groups (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.1), and sharing injecting paraphernalia with other IDUs (aOR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.4) were strong correlates of HIV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Effective outreach programs need to be developed to provide a comprehensive package of HIV prevention services to IDUs not reached by existing services, entry into drug abuse treatment and medical care needs to be facilitated, and essential legal and social services need to be provided with community participation.

Risky sexual behavior, knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and treatment utilization among a vulnerable population in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

As a part of a second generation surveillance, we investigated the sociodemographics, risky sexual behavior, knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and treatment seeking behavior among a vulnerable population. A cross-sectional study preceded by mapping, was conducted in Rawalpindi, Pakistan during 2005. Subjects were recruited through snowball, time location cluster and cluster sampling techniques. Behavioral interviews were conducted with 203 female sex workers (FSWs), 101 male sex workers (MSWs), 101 Hijras (transgender men) and 200 injecting drug users (IDUs), who were deemed a vulnerable population for STIs. Among this population 136 (67%) FSWs were illiterate, 145 (71.4%) were married and entertained on average 23 clients per month. Consistent condom use during one month was reported by 34 (17%) FSWs. One hundred thirty-three (66%) FSWs had a knowledge of STIs, 69 (34%) suffered from STIs. MSWs and Hijras had the youngest average ages at 24.4 (+/- 6.8), 25.8 (+/- 5.9) and started sexual activity even at age 14.7, and 13.9 years, respectively. Consistent condom usage was as low as 3 (3.1%) and 4 (4%) among MSWs and Hijras. IDUs had lowest monthly income of US$ 69 (+/- 41) and had a predominant migratory pattern. Fifty (25.2%) IDUs shared a needle with the last injection. Though knowledge of STIs was lowest among IDUs, 61 (30.7%), however, all utilized the public health facility for their treatment. Difference between knowledge of STIs and educational levels among IDUs and Hijras were found to be statistically significant (p=0.015 and p=0.04, respectively). The present study indicates the knowledge of HIV/STIs is high among the vulnerable population but condom usage is very low.