RISK-FACTORS FOR HIV SEROPOSITIVITY IN A SAMPLE OF DRUG-USERS IN DRUG-TREATMENT IN HO-CHI-MINH-CITY, VIETNAM

The article describes drug use behaviors, AIDS knowledge, risks for HI V infection, and HIV seroprevalence in drug users entering rehabilitat ion in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A cross-sectional, descriptive surve y of all new entrants to a residential drug treatment center was condu cted with linked HIV serology between July I and July 14, 1995. A tota l of 105 subjects participated: 101 men and 4 women. HIV serostatus wa s available for 88 subjects. Forty-seven percent (41 of 88 subjects) w ere HIV-positive. Median age of the subjects was 38 years. Mean length of injection drug use was 13.2 years (range, 1-27 years). The primary drug of injection was opium (96%), although 59% of subjects also inje cted ''Western'' drugs such as sedatives or tranquilizers, Eighty-two percent (86 of 105 subjects) correctly answered at least 7 of 10 AIDS knowledge questions, and only 28% (27 of 97 subjects) reported any nee dle sharing in the last 5 years. Seropositivity was associated with a history of previous treatment for drug abuse (p = 0.002), longer histo ry of injecting drugs (p = 0.003), use of Western drugs (p = 0.03), an d higher educational level (p = 0.05). Multivariate analysis found tha t the independent predictors of HIV seropositivity were history of pre vious treatment for drug abuse (p = 0.06) and longer history of inject ing drugs (p = 0.05). Despite low levels of self-reported needle shari ng and high levels of AIDS knowledge, HIV seroprevalence was high in t his sample. The potential for epidemic spread of HIV in Vietnamese dru g users is substantial. Risk-reduction programs and intense AIDS educa tion projects targeting the population of drug users are necessary to control the AIDS epidemic in Vietnam.