HIV incidence and factors associated with retention in a 12-month follow-up study of injection drug users in Xichang County

  Objective   To understand HIV incidence and retention by subject's baseline sociodemog raphic and behavio ral characteristics in a 12-month follow-up study of injection drug users.

  Methods   During November 2002, a communitybased baseline survey was conducted to recruit333HIV sero-negative injection drug users(IDUs)for a prospective cohortstudy in Xichang County of Sichuan Province, China.

  Results   During the first12-month follo w-up period, HIV incidence was 3.17 per 100 person-years95% confidence interv al(CI):0.98, 5.37.The retention r ate atthe 12-month follow up visitwas 70.3%.In a multiple logistic regression model, appearing at6-month follow-up visit(OR=8.74, 95% CI 4.95~15.41;P < 0.0001)and Yi ethnicity(OR=0.50, 95% CI 0.28~0.87;P < 0.0151)were independently asso ciated with retention in a 12-month follow-up study of injection drug users.No drug using and sexual behaviors were found to be associated with retention atthe 12-month follow-up visit.

  Conclusion   There is a high HIV incidence among IDUs in Xichang County of Sichuan province, China; Yiethnicity has a lower retention rate and appearing at 6-month follow-up visitmay predictlong-term retention rate in IDUs cohort, respectively.