FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH INITIATION OF ZIDOVUDINE IN A COHORT OF INJECTION-DRUG USERS

To estimate the prevalence of zidovudine (ZVD) use among human immunod eficiency virus (HIV) seropositive injection drug users (IDU), and to identify predisposing factors that predicted initiation of ZVD use, Pa rticipants from an ongoing prospective cohort study who met Public Hea lth Service (PHS) criteria for zidovudine, with a CD4 cell count of le ss than less than or equal to 200 mu L prior to December 1990 or a CD4 count of less than or equal to 500 mu L after December, 1990 and had at feast one clinic visit after determination of these cell counts wer e included. Eligibility criteria was met for 412 individuals for ZVD u se; 173 (42% used ZVD at any period. Variables significantly associate d with ZVD use included CD4 cell counts less than less than or equal t o 200 mu L (OR=3.30); two or more HIV related symptoms (OR=2.07); a ch ild living in the participants home (OR=1.59), and, in the sh months p rior to eligibility for ZVD, any outpatient visit (OR=2.28) or any inp atient admission (OR=1.85). This study suggests that utilization of ZV D among IDUs remains low.