Methadone Maintenance Therapy and HIV Counseling and Testing are Associated with Lower frequency of Risky Behaviors Among Injection Drug Users in China

Abstract

Three consecutive cross-sectional surveys were conducted among injection drug users (IDUs). Of 2,530 participants, 47.7% reported ever sharing needles, 78.2% having had unprotected sex in the last month, 34.4% not receiving either methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) or HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), 4.8% ever receiving MMT-only, 36.6% ever receiving VCT-only, and 24.2% ever receiving both MMT and VCT. MMT-only and the combination of MMT and VCT had significant associations with needle sharing and on unprotected sexual behaviors. Effectively integrating VCT into MMT services is a logical way to maximize the impact of both interventions on risky behaviors among IDUs.

Keywords :

• injection drug use
• HIV voluntary counseling and testing
• methadone maintenance treatment
• needle sharing
• substance use
• HIV behavior
• HIV prevention
• sexual risk behavior