Methadone Maintenance Therapy and HIV Counseling and Testing are Associated with Lower frequency of Risky Behaviors Among Injection Drug Users in China. (2nd January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Mei; Mao, Wenwen; Zhang, Linglin; Jiang, Baofa; Xiao, Yan; Jia, Yujiang; Wu, Pingsheng; Cassell, Holly; Vermund, Sten
• Is Part Of: Substance use & misuse. Volume 50:Number 1(2015)
• Page Start: 15
• Page End: 23
• Publication Date: 2015-01-02
• Subjects: Narcotic habit -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Substance abuse -- Periodicals; Behavior, Addictive -- Periodicals; Sustance-Related Disorders -- Periodicals; 362.2905
• DOI: 10.3109/10826084.2014.957768
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1082-6084

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Three consecutive cross-sectional surveys were conducted among injection drug users (IDUs). Of 2, 530 participants, 47.7% reported ever sharing needles, 78.2% having had unprotected sex in the last month, 34.4% not receiving either methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) or HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), 4.8% ever receiving MMT-only, 36.6% ever receiving VCT-only, and 24.2% ever receiving both MMT and VCT. MMT-only and the combination of MMT and VCT had significant associations with needle sharing and on unprotected sexual behaviors. Effectively integrating VCT into MMT services is a logical way to maximize the impact of both interventions on risky behaviors among IDUs.</p> </abstract>