Abstract
The number of poly-drug users who mix use heroin and synthetic drugs (SD) is increasing worldwide. The objective of this study is to measure the risk factors for being infected with hepatitis C (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis among SD-only users, heroin-only users and poly-drug users. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 from a national HIV surveillance site in Southwest China, 447 poly-drug, 526 SD-only and 318 heroin-only users were recruited. Poly-drug users have higher drug-use frequency, higher rates of drug-sharing and unsafe sexual acts than other users (p < 0.05). About a third (36.7%) of poly-drug users experienced sexual arousal due to drug effects, which is higher than the rate among other drug users. Poly-drug users had the highest prevalence of HIV (10.5%) and syphilis (3.6%), but heroin-only users had the highest prevalence of HCV (66.0%) (all p < 0.05) among three groups. Logistic regression shows among poly-drug users, having sex following drug consumption and using drugs ≥1/day were the major risk factors for both HIV (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.4, 95% CI [1.8–3.4]; 2.3, [1.6–3.1]) and syphilis infection (AOR = 4.1, [2.1–6.9]; 3.9, [1.8–5.4]). Elevated risk of both HIV and syphilis infection have been established among poly-drug users.
Highlights
In 2016, an estimated 250 million people worldwide used non-prescribed drugs and about 29.5 million of those drug users suffered from drug use disorders[1]
A total of 1, 291 new entrants at the largest detoxification centre in Yunnan Province were enrolled in the study, 447 (34.6%) were poly-drug users, 526 (40.7%) were synthetic drugs (SD)-only users, and 318 (24.6%) were heroin-only users according to their self-reported drug consumption patterns
Education status is similar in three groups, gender, age, marriage status, and monthly income demonstrated a graded distribution among three groups, poly-drug users were consistently ranked between SD-only users and heroin-only users
Summary
In 2016, an estimated 250 million people worldwide used non-prescribed drugs and about 29.5 million of those drug users suffered from drug use disorders[1]. Artificial chemicals that mimic the effects of traditional recreational drugs They include both amphetamine-type stimulants (e.g., methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy) and new psychoactive substances (drugs with chemical structures similar to those of known illegal synthetic drugs that produce similar effects to illegal drugs)[3,4,5,6]. Consumption of these drugs has increased rapidly since 2009, first in North America and Europe and gradually spreading to the rest of the world[7]. This behaviour leads to higher risk of blood-borne viruses
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