HIV infection and high-risk behaviors in opioid dependent patients: the Indian context.

Various risk behaviors promote the spread of HIV in drug addicts. Reflecting the substantial regional and geographic differences in the impact of HIV, its prevalence rates vary from country to country. In view of increasing reports of injection drug-uses (IDUs) from different parts of India, the study was aimed to examine and investigate the difference in prevalence rates of seropositivity between IDUs and non-IDUs in patients of drug dependence and to compare the pattern of risk behaviors due to sexual and drug use practice in IDUs and non-IDUs. A high HIV seroprevalence of 8.3% between IDUs and 1.8% in non-IDUs was found. The study findings suggest a trend towards drug-related risks being higher than sex-related risks in IDUs.