Integrated Bio-Behavioral Survey (IBBS) Among Male Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) in The Kathmandu Valley 2005

Abstract

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HIV transmission among drug users is associated with injecting drug use that involves the sharing of needles or syringes. Risky sexual behavior associated with drug use also contributes to the spread of HIV. Injecting drug users function as a “bridging population” for HIV transmission between a core HIV risk group, other high-risk groups and the general population. The main objective of this study was “to estimate the prevalence rate of HIV among injecting drug users (IDUs) and assess their risky behavior". The study was conducted in the Kathmandu Valley. Three hundred male IDUs were sampled using the respondent driven sampling (RDS) methodology. While structured questionnaires were used to collect behavioral data, clinical blood tests were used to determine the rate of HIV infection. The clinical test procedure used involved collecting blood from a subject’s pricked finger and then storing it in 2-4 capillary tubes until tests could be performed. In order to determine a participant's infection status, a rapid test kit algorithm was used in which two rapid tests (Capillus and Determine) were initially conducted with Uni-Gold reserved as a tie-breaker.

The study found that the median age of the IDUs was 26 years. The percentage of adolescent and youth IDUs (below the age of 25) was 42.3%. A majority of the IDUs were either previously or currently married. The median age at first marriage was 21 years. Eight percent of the respondents were found to be illiterate. IDUs from different ethnic groups participated in the study.