Use of drus and sexual behaviour in a sample of injecting drug users of Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Abstract

Objective: This paper is aimed at describing both the substance use characteristics, and the sexual behaviors among a sample of injecting drug users. Method: Sample included 200 substance users, ages ranging 15- to 45-year-olds pertaining to different districts from the city of Buenos Aires, and the Greater Buenos Aires area. Data have been collected by means of a 189-structuredquestion questionnaire adapted from a WHO multicenter study. Results: Endovenously administered substance use occurs among increasingly younger users. Ten per cent of users share syringes with a number of people, on a daily basis. Besides denying any AIDS-related danger as far as they are concerned, an important percentage of users refrain from taking into account how risky their behaviors are for other people involved. More than half sample subjects have not introduced any changes whatsoever in their sexual behaviors with regard to any protective measure against HIV infection. Among subjects that have been tested, HIV prevalence amounts to 64%. Among subjects that have been tested for HCV, prevalence amounts to 71%, and 80% of coinfection between HIV and HCV has been observed. Conclusion: Data point out that a critical situation diagnosis should be performed with regard to the HIV/AIDS epidemic among injecting drug users in the city of Buenos Aires.