HIV PREVALENCE AND RISK BEHAVIOR AMONG INTRAVENOUS-DRUG-USERS ATTENDING HIV COUNSELING AND TESTING CENTERS IN PARIS

This study was designed to analyse sexual and drug use behaviour, to d etermine whether increased awareness can lead to behaviour change, and to evaluate the association between HIV seropositivity and potential risk factors. A 4-month survey was carried out on 147 IVDUs attending three HIV counselling and testing centres, 98% of whom had been using heroin for an average of 7 years, 85% in association with other drugs. Two-thirds of injectors reported having used ''safer'' injecting prac tices in the previous year. Most of the IVDUs were heterosexual, and h ad had an average of three sexual partners in the previous year. More than half of them had had high risk partners. Condoms were used by onl y 25% of IVDUs, and were more likely to be used with seropositive part ners (38% versus 12.7%, p = 0.02). Patients considering themselves to be well informed about HIV transmission shared syringes significantly less often, but had the same sexual behaviour patterns as other subjec ts. The HIV prevalence rate (8.2%) in our sample was not statistically related to any risk factor apart from drug use duration, the latter p ossibly reflecting a cumulative exposure to HIV risks. Since sexual ri sk appears to be a potential long-term hazard for IVDUs, it is importa nt that more attention be paid to providing counselling to specificall y address this issue.