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Michelle Mehri Haghpanah, BS, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University, School of Medicine, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, 203.270.1883, michelle.haghpanah@yale.edu, Azarakhsh Mokri, MD, Rouzbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Science, South Kargar Ave, Tehran, Iran, Kaveh Khoshnood, PhD, Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University, 60 College st, P.O Box 208034, New Haven, CT 06511, and Richard Schottenfeld, MD, Connecticut Mental Health Clinic, Yale University, School of Medicine, P.O. Box 1842, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06520.
Background: HIV infection and drug addiction are growing epidemics in Iran. The Iranian government estimates that about 1.3 million of its 65.6 million citizens are addicted to opium and/or heroin. Of those addicted, 21,000 individuals are reported to be HIV positive. Currently, few HIV studies have compared opium and heroin users. This descriptive study is the first of its kind and seeks to assess HIV knowledge, perception, risk behaviors, and stability between opium and heroin users undergoing treatment at a public inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment facility in Tehran, Iran. Methodology: Utilizing an interviewer-administered questionnaire, drug users were asked questions regarding socio-demographics, substance usage history, sharing of injection equipment, sexual behavior, history of communicable diseases and depression, and general AIDS knowledge and perception. Interviewees were first-time patients at the treatment facility. All data are entered into Microsoft Access and analyzed with SAS (v8.2). Results: Preliminary results of the data (n=51, opium users=26, heroin users=25 (56% reported injecting), all males) revealed statistically insignificant differences in HIV knowledge, risk, and stability between these two groups. The mean age of drug use initiation for the entire group was 20.4 (19.2 and 21.5 for heroin and opium users respectively). Sixty percent of heroin users reported using smokable opium before their heroin use. Conclusion: Previous opium use may have facilitated heroin use, since many heroin users first smoked opium and then transitioned to heroin. Further assessment of these groups can provide useful information on drug user behaviors. Information collected may help public health officials implement effective harm reduction strategies for both groups and may reduce the transmission of blood-borne diseases.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to
Keywords: Drug Addiction, HIV/AIDS
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.