Survey on sharing injection equipment incidence among drug users in Liangshan of Sichuan province

  Objective   To estimate the incidence of sharing injection equipmentamong drug users in Liangshan Yizu Autonomous Region of Sichuan province, China.

  Methods   During November 2002, a community-based survey was conducted to investigate the demographic characteristics, initial time of druguse, firsttime of injection drug use, and firsttime of sharing injection equipmentamong drug users.

  Results   Atotal of 382 drug users were interviewed and 99.5%(380)of them had everinjected drug, and 64.7%(247/382)of drug users reported sharing of injection equipmentat leastonce.The average incidence of sharing injecton equipment was 135/100 person years(95% CI 11.8~15.2)from initial drug use to sharing of injection equipment.A ccording to the multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model, ethnicity(HR=1.751, 95% CI 1.342~2.286)and age of initial drug use(HR=1.434, 95% CI 1.050~1.958)were independently associated with time frominitiation of drug use to ado ption of sharing equipment.The average incidence of sharing injection equipment was 36.8/100 person years(95% CI 32.2~41.4)from initial injection drug use to sharing of injection equipment.Multivariate Coxproportional hazard regression annalysis showed ethnicity(HR=1.891, 95% CI 1.455~2.458)and age of firstinjection drug use to adoption of sharing equipment, respectively.

  Conclusion   In order to prevent HIV transmission among drug suers in Liangshan, Sichuan province, health education and behavior intervention should be enhanced for adolescents and minority people.