Andrew Scheibe1, David Makapela2, Ben Brown3, Monika dos Santos4, Fabienne Hariga5, Harsheth Virk6, Linda-Gail Bekker3, Olga Lyan7, Nancy Fee8, Margarete Molnar9, Alina Bocai10, Jason Eligh10, Riku Lehtovuori5. 1. Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: andrew.scheibe@gmail.com. 2. International Organisation for Migration, Pretoria, South Africa. 3. Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 4. Foundation for Professional Development, Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Psychology, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa. 5. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna, Austria. 6. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Lagos, Nigeria. 7. UNAIDS, Geneva, Switzerland. 8. UNAIDS, Pretoria, South Africa. 9. UNAIDS, Cotonou, Benin. 10. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Pretoria, South Africa.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Policy and programming for people who inject drugs (PWID) in South Africa is limited by the scarcity of epidemiological data. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 450 PWID (362 males and 88 females) from five South African cities in 2013, using outreach and peer referral to recruit participants. We carried out rapid HIV tests on participants' saliva and assessed drug-using and sexual practices by means of a questionnaire. RESULTS: We found that 26% of females and 13% of males reported to always share injecting equipment, while 49% of all participants had used contaminated injecting equipment the last time they injected. Only 6% of participants usually used bleach to clean their injecting equipment. We found that half of participants reported using a condom the last time they had sex. A quarter of participants reported symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the previous 12 months and 22% had ever worked as a sex worker (51% of females). HIV prevalence among participants was 14% (18% among females and 13% among males). In multivariate analysis HIV was significantly associated with being 25 years and older (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-4.6, p=0.06), belonging to a racial group other than white (aOR 4.2, 95% CI 1.9-9.4, p<0.001), coming from Gauteng province (aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-5.5, p=0.023), having ever worked as a sex worker (aOR 3.4, 95% CI 1.7-7.2, p=0.001) and the presence of STI symptoms in the last 12 months (aOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.1-4.4, p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the need for increased access to sterile injecting equipment, education around safer injecting practices and access to sexual and reproductive health services for PWID in South Africa. Programmes for PWID should also address the specific needs of female PWID, PWID who sell sex and PWID from previously disadvantaged communities.
BACKGROUND: Policy and programming for people who inject drugs (PWID) in South Africa is limited by the scarcity of epidemiological data. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 450 PWID (362 males and 88 females) from five South African cities in 2013, using outreach and peer referral to recruit participants. We carried out rapid HIV tests on participants' saliva and assessed drug-using and sexual practices by means of a questionnaire. RESULTS: We found that 26% of females and 13% of males reported to always share injecting equipment, while 49% of all participants had used contaminated injecting equipment the last time they injected. Only 6% of participants usually used bleach to clean their injecting equipment. We found that half of participants reported using a condom the last time they had sex. A quarter of participants reported symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the previous 12 months and 22% had ever worked as a sex worker (51% of females). HIV prevalence among participants was 14% (18% among females and 13% among males). In multivariate analysis HIV was significantly associated with being 25 years and older (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-4.6, p=0.06), belonging to a racial group other than white (aOR 4.2, 95% CI 1.9-9.4, p<0.001), coming from Gauteng province (aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-5.5, p=0.023), having ever worked as a sex worker (aOR 3.4, 95% CI 1.7-7.2, p=0.001) and the presence of STI symptoms in the last 12 months (aOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.1-4.4, p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the need for increased access to sterile injecting equipment, education around safer injecting practices and access to sexual and reproductive health services for PWID in South Africa. Programmes for PWID should also address the specific needs of female PWID, PWID who sell sex and PWID from previously disadvantaged communities.
Authors: Jennifer A Wagman; Jeffrey H Samet; Debbie M Cheng; Natalia Gnatienko; Anita Raj; Elena Blokhina; Olga Toussova; Leah S Forman; Dmitry Lioznov; Judith I Tsui Journal: AIDS Behav Date: 2018-09
Authors: Maria F Nardell; Bethany Hedt-Gauthier; Valerie A Earnshaw; Laura M Bogart; Janan J Dietrich; Ingrid Courtney; Gugulethu Tshabalala; Jacob Bor; Catherine Orrell; Glenda Gray; David R Bangsberg; Ingrid T Katz Journal: AIDS Behav Date: 2021-10-27
Authors: Andrew Scheibe; Simon Howell; Alexandra Müller; Munyaradzi Katumba; Bram Langen; Lillian Artz; Monique Marks Journal: J Int AIDS Soc Date: 2016-07-18 Impact factor: 5.396
Authors: Andrew Scheibe; Shaun Shelly; Andrew Lambert; Andrea Schneider; Rudolf Basson; Nelson Medeiros; Kalvanya Padayachee; Helen Savva; Harry Hausler Journal: Harm Reduct J Date: 2017-06-07
Authors: Andrew Scheibe; Shaun Shelly; Johannes Hugo; Matilda Mohale; Sasha Lalla; Wayne Renkin; Natasha Gloeck; Senzo Khambule; Lorinda Kroukamp; Urvisha Bhoora; Tessa S Marcus Journal: Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med Date: 2020-05-06
Authors: Septime P H Hessou; Yolaine Glele-Ahanhanzo; Rhéda Adekpedjou; Clement Ahoussinou; Codjo D Djade; Alphonse Biaou; Christian R Johnson; Michel Boko; Michel Alary Journal: PLoS One Date: 2020-06-09 Impact factor: 3.240