Epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in injection drug users in Argentina: high seroprevalence of HIV infection.

The aim of this study was to compile published data and to describe the prevalences of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among injection drug users (IDUs) in different populations studied in Argentina from 1987 through 1999. Twenty-two studies of HIV infection in the IDU population were selected, and 6 subject groups were defined: outpatients, prisoners, children in rehabilitation institutes, hospitalized patients, IDUs receiving drug treatment, and female sex workers. The median prevalence of HIV infection among 1506 outpatients (5 studies) was 64.0%; among 175 prisoners (1 study), the prevalence was 35.4%; among 446 children in rehabilitation institutes (4 studies), the prevalence was 48.1%; among 136 hospitalized patients (2 studies), the prevalence was 49.5%; among 2708 IDUs receiving drug treatment (7 studies), the prevalence was 39.0%; and among 26 female sex workers (2 studies), the prevalence was 47.0%. Prevalence of HIV infection was high among IDUs in Argentina, ranging from 27% to 80%.