HIV infection and risk behaviors among male injecting drug users in the Central Highlands, Vietnam, 2011

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between some risk behaviors and HIV infection among male injecting drug users (IDUs), focusing on the impacts of risk behaviors, personal factors and environmental factors on the HIV status in Central Highlands, Vietnam. The data used for this study is from a cross-sectional survey of 644 male IDUs conducted by the Tay Nguyen Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in 2011. The Binary logistic regression is used to examine the influential factors on the HIV infection of IDUs. Descriptive findings show that HIV prevalence among male IDUs in the Central Highlands is 10.71%. The results of binary logistic regression suggest that HIV infection is significantly associated with educational level, needle sharing, condom use, living arrangements, and province of residence. IDUs who have never shared needles and have a higher education level are less likely to be infected with HIV than their counterparts. Surprisingly, IDUs who always use a condom with sexual partners are 65% more likely to be HIV positive than those who do not always use a condom. IDUs who live with a wife/girlfriend are 90% more likely be infected with HIV than those living with others. Finally, findings indicate that IDUs in Gia Lai province are more likely than other provinces to be HIV positive.