| Title |
Unsafe Injection and Sexual Risk Behavior among Injecting Drug Users in Georgia
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Journal of Urban Health, June 2011
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s11524-011-9571-8 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Ivdity Chikovani, Ivana Bozicevic, Ketevan Goguadze, Natia Rukhadze, George Gotsadze |
| Abstract |
Injection drug users (IDUs) are at risk for acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through parenteral and sexual transmission. In this paper, we describe the prevalence and correlates of unsafe drug injecting and sexual behaviors among IDUs recruited across five cities in Georgia in 2009. IDUs were administered a questionnaire collecting information on demographics, drug use, sexual behaviors, and HIV testing behaviors. Correlates of risky injecting and sexual behaviors were determined using logistic regression. Of 1,127 IDUs, the majority (98.7%) were men, and the median duration of injecting drugs was 7 years. Unsafe injecting behavior at last injection was reported by 51.9% of IDUs, while 16.8% reported both unsafe injecting behavior and not using condoms with last occasional and/or commercial partner. In the multivariate analysis, independent correlates of unsafe injecting behavior at last injection were types of drugs injected [p = 0.0096; (for ephedrine, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 7.38; 95% CI, 1.50-36.26)] and not using condoms at last commercial sex (aOR = 2.29, 1.22-4.32). The following variables were significantly associated with unsafe injecting behavior at last injection and not using condoms at last sex with commercial and/or occasional partners in the multivariate analysis: marital status [p = 0.0002; (for divorced, widowed, and separated aOR = 2.62, 1.62-4.25; for single aOR = 1.61, 1.08-2.39)], being a member of a regular injecting group (aOR = 0.62, 0.44-0.88), types of drugs injected in the past month [p = 0.0024; (for buprenorphine aOR = 0.34, 0.18-0.63)], city of residence (p = 0.0083), and not receiving information on HIV (aOR = 1.82, 1.07-3.09). Though only ephedrine was injected by a smaller number of IDUs (9.1%), the vast majority of these (81.4%) reported unsafe injecting practices at last injection. High prevalence of unsafe injecting behaviors and diverse and at-risk sexual partnerships highlight the need to implement complex and targeted HIV interventions among IDUs in Georgia. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 2 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | 50% |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 2 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 53 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1 | 2% |
| Unknown | 52 | 98% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Master | 7 | 13% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 6 | 11% |
| Librarian | 4 | 8% |
| Other | 4 | 8% |
| Student > Bachelor | 4 | 8% |
| Other | 14 | 26% |
| Unknown | 14 | 26% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 17 | 32% |
| Nursing and Health Professions | 9 | 17% |
| Social Sciences | 6 | 11% |
| Psychology | 3 | 6% |
| Economics, Econometrics and Finance | 1 | 2% |
| Other | 2 | 4% |
| Unknown | 15 | 28% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 28 October 2012.
All research outputs
#14,608,631
of 22,681,577 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Urban Health
#1,066
of 1,279 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#81,365
of 115,049 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Urban Health
#18
of 21 outputs
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