Knowledge about human immunodeficiency virus infection and sexual behavior among drug users: a cross sectional study in Pokhara submetropolitan city, Nepal

Figures & data

Table 1 General characteristics of the participants

	ODUs (n=202)		IDUs (n=202)		Total
	n	%	n	%	n	%
Age, years
≤19	12	5.9	12	5.9	24	5.9
20–24	65	32.2	65	32.2	130	32.2
25–29	107	53.0	107	53.0	214	53.0
≥30	18	8.9	18	8.9	36	8.9
Age at first drug use, years
≤19	167	82.7	167	82.7	334	82.7
20–24	35	17.3	35	17.3	70	17.3
Occupation
Unemployed	99	49.0	116	57.4	215	53.2
Student	33	16.3	12	5.9	45	11.1
Business	35	17.3	27	13.4	62	15.3
Service	10	5.0	12	5.9	22	5.4
Daily wage	25	12.4	35	17.3	60	14.8
Ethnicity
Brahmin/Chhetri	51	25.2	63	31.2	114	28.2
Newar	48	23.8	18	8.9	66	16.3
Tamang/Lama	12	5.9	12	5.9	24	5.9
Gurung/Rai/Pun	72	35.6	78	38.5	150	37.1
Occupational castes	15	9.4	31	15.4	50	12.3
Education status
Illiterate	12	5.9	15	7.4	27	6.7
Primary	40	19.8	58	28.7	98	24.3
Secondary	100	49.5	92	45.5	192	47.5
Above higher secondary	50	24.8	37	18.3	87	21.5
Marital status
Unmarried	130	64.4	118	58.4	248	61.4
Married	58	28.7	70	34.7	128	31.7
Divorced/widowed	14	6.9	14	6.9	28	6.9
Age at first marriage, years (n=156)
≤19	12	16.7	21	25.0	33	21.2
≥20	60	83.3	63	75.0	123	78.9

Abbreviations: IDUs, injection-drug users; ODUs, oral drug users.

Table 2 Oral and injection-drug use by knowledge, and sexual behaviors

Type of drug user	ODUs		IDUs		Total		P-value	Odds ratio (confidence interval)
	n	%	n	%	n	%
Heard of HIV
No	19	9.4	12	5.9	31	7.7
Yes	183	90.6	190	94.1	373	92.3
Sexual intercourse with women other than their wife
No	28	19.7	36	19.8	64	19.8
Yes	114	80.3	146	80.2	260	80.2
Used condom during sexual intercourse with women other than their wife
No	18	16.1	22	15.1	40	15.5
Yes	94	83.9	124	84.9	218	84.5
Condom use
No	13	20.6	31	40.3	44	31.4	0.01	0.38 (0.18–0.82)
Yes	50	79.4	46	59.7	96	68.6
Drug use by sexual partner
No	66	71.0	49	49.5	115	59.9	0.00	2.49 (1.37–4.52)
Yes	27	29.0	50	50.5	77	40.1
Age at first sexual intercourse, years
≤19	59	42.7	123	69.1	182	57.6	0.00	0.33 (0.21–0.53)
≥20	79	57.3	55	30.9	134	42.4
Motivating factor for drug use
Depression	37	18.32	29	14.36	66	16.34
Curiosity	57	28.22	73	36.14	130	32.18
Education failure	24	11.88	13	6.44	37	9.16
Peer pressure	84	41.58	87	43.07	171	42.33

Abbreviations: IDUs, injection-drug users; ODUs, oral drug users; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus.

Table 4 Knowledge about prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by type of drug user (multiple responses)

Drug user	Prevention of HIV								Total
	Avoiding unsafe sexual intercourse		Avoiding infected blood		Avoiding used syringe		Avoiding pregnancy
	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
ODUs	181	99.4	144	79.1	182	100.0	125	68.6	182
IDUs	188	98.9	161	84.7	189	99.4	137	72.1	190
Education
Primary and below	98	100.0	68	69.3	98	100.0	59	60.2	98
Secondary and above	271	98.9	237	86.4	273	99.6	203	74.0	274

Abbreviations: IDUs, injection-drug users; ODUs, oral drug users.

Table 3 Knowledge about mode of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by type of drug user, and educational status (multiple responses)

Drug user	Mode of transmission of HIV								Total
	Unsafe sexual intercourse		Infected blood		Through syringe		From mother to child
	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
ODUs	183	100.0	145	79.2	183	100	126	68.8	183
IDUs	189	99.4	162	85.2	190	100	140	73.6	190
Education
Primary and below	98	100.0	69	70.4	98	100	60	61.2	98
Secondary and above	274	99.6	238	86.5	275	100	206	74.9	275

Abbreviations: IDUs, injection-drug users; ODUs, oral drug users.