Abstract
No current estimates exist for the size of the population of people who inject drugs (PWID) in the District of Columbia (DC). The WHO/UNAIDS Guidelines on Estimating the Size of Populations Most at Risk to HIV was used as the methodological framework to estimate the DC PWID population. The capture phase recruited harm reduction agency clients; the recapture phase recruited community-based PWID. The 951 participants were predominantly Black (83.9 %), male (69.8 %), and 40+ years of age (68.2 %). Approximately 50.3 % reported injecting drugs in the past 30 days. We estimate approximately 8829 (95 % CI 4899 and 12,759) PWID in DC. When adjusted for possible missed sub-populations of PWID, the estimate increases to 12,000; thus, the original estimate of approximately 9000 should be viewed in the context of the 95 % confidence interval. These evidence-based estimations should be used to determine program delivery needs and resource allocation for PWID in Washington, DC.
Highlights
Since the identification of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the District of Columbia (DC), people who inject drugs (PWID) have borne a disproportionate burden of infection risk
No current estimates exist for the size of the population of people who inject drugs (PWID) in the District of Columbia (DC)
We partnered with two local harm reduction service providers who have been engaged in providing services to DC residents since the inception of the DC Department of Health’s needle exchange network (DC NEX) in 2008
Summary
Since the identification of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the District of Columbia (DC), people who inject drugs (PWID) have borne a disproportionate burden of infection risk. In a 2004 article published by Friedman et al, the population estimate for DC included Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia and ranged from 5500 to 54,000 [3] With this estimate including multiple states and the range being so large, it is hard to determine how much of the PWID population lives in the District versus elsewhere. This limitation is problematic for organizations serving PWID in DC because they do not know the true size of the population they serve
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
