Mostafa Shokoohi1, Mohammad Karamouzian2, Mehdi Osooli3, Hamid Sharifi4, Noushin Fahimfar5, AliAkbar Haghdoost4, Omid Zamani4, Ali Mirzazadeh6. 1. Regional Knowledge Hub, and WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada. 2. Regional Knowledge Hub, and WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. 3. Regional Knowledge Hub, and WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Centre for Haemostasis and Thrombosis, Skane University Hospital, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. 4. Regional Knowledge Hub, and WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. 5. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; HIV/AIDS Control Office, Center for Disease Control (CDC), Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran. 6. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Regional Knowledge Hub, and WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Electronic address: ali.mirzazadeh@ucsf.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Iran has a concentrated HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs (PWID). Low HIV testing uptake could contribute to the significant number HIV-infected PWID, who go undiagnosed. This study aims to assess HIV testing uptake and its correlates among PWID in Iran. METHODS: Data were collected through a national cross-sectional bio-behavioral study in 2010. Adult male HIV-negative PWID were included in the current analysis. All estimates were adjusted for the clustering effect of the sampling sites. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the correlates of recent HIV testing and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were reported. RESULTS: Out of the 2146 eligible PWID for this study, 49.8% reported having ever tested for HIV. However, only 24.9% had tested in the previous year and received their test results. Around 65.2% of PWID knew an HIV testing site. In the multivariable analysis, knowing an HIV testing site (AOR=13.9; P-value<0.001), ≥24 years of age (AOR=3.30; P-value=0.027), and multiple incarcerations (AOR=1.71; P-value<0.001) were positively, and a monthly income of ≥65 US dollar (AOR=0.23; P-value=0.009) was negatively associated with having been tested and received the results. CONCLUSION: Despite the availability of free HIV counselling and testing for PWID in Iran, only one-fourth of adult male PWID had been tested for HIV and received their results. Implementing policies and strategies to normalize routine HIV testing among PWID are crucial steps to help curb the epidemic among Iranian PWID.
BACKGROUND: Iran has a concentrated HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs (PWID). Low HIV testing uptake could contribute to the significant number HIV-infected PWID, who go undiagnosed. This study aims to assess HIV testing uptake and its correlates among PWID in Iran. METHODS: Data were collected through a national cross-sectional bio-behavioral study in 2010. Adult male HIV-negative PWID were included in the current analysis. All estimates were adjusted for the clustering effect of the sampling sites. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the correlates of recent HIV testing and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were reported. RESULTS: Out of the 2146 eligible PWID for this study, 49.8% reported having ever tested for HIV. However, only 24.9% had tested in the previous year and received their test results. Around 65.2% of PWID knew an HIV testing site. In the multivariable analysis, knowing an HIV testing site (AOR=13.9; P-value<0.001), ≥24 years of age (AOR=3.30; P-value=0.027), and multiple incarcerations (AOR=1.71; P-value<0.001) were positively, and a monthly income of ≥65 US dollar (AOR=0.23; P-value=0.009) was negatively associated with having been tested and received the results. CONCLUSION: Despite the availability of free HIV counselling and testing for PWID in Iran, only one-fourth of adult male PWID had been tested for HIV and received their results. Implementing policies and strategies to normalize routine HIV testing among PWID are crucial steps to help curb the epidemic among Iranian PWID.
Authors: Nima Ghalehkhani; Behnam Farhoudi; Mohammad Mehdi Gouya; Hamid Sharifi; SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi; Kianoush Kamali; Noushin Fahimfar; Zahra Rajabpour; Amin Doosti-Irani; Abbas Sedaghat; Ali Mirzazadeh Journal: Int J STD AIDS Date: 2019-09-27 Impact factor: 1.359
Authors: Mohammad Karamouzian; Hamid Sharifi; Mehrdad Khezri; Mostafa Shokoohi; Ali Mirzazadeh; Fatemeh Tavakoli; Nima Ghalekhani; Ghazal Mousavian; Soheil Mehmandoost; Parvin Afsar Kazerooni; Ali Akbar Haghdoost Journal: AIDS Behav Date: 2022-02-23
Authors: Hamid Sharifi; Ali Mirzazadeh; Mostafa Shokoohi; Mohammad Karamouzian; Razieh Khajehkazemi; Soodabeh Navadeh; Noushin Fahimfar; Ahmad Danesh; Mehdi Osooli; Willi McFarland; Mohammad Mehdi Gouya; Ali Akbar Haghdoost Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-11-29 Impact factor: 3.240