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Abstract
A study of HIV infection among substance abusers from 1987 to 2002 was performed in Thanyarak Institute on Drug Abuse (TIDA). From 118,676 anti HIV tests (6,076-10,626 tests each year) of TIDA inpatients, 17,526 tests were positive (474-2,041 tests each year) In 71,403 new substance abuse cases (3,724-6,184 cases each year), 12,401 cases were positive (17.4%), highest in 1990 28.3% and then decreased to 8% in the last three years. In injecting drug users (IDU), the mean anti HIV positivity rate was 21.7% (range 19.2-29.4%) higher than those among non IDU about 8 times 2.8% (range 1.9-3.6%).
The HIV incidence rates were from inpatients that were previously anti-HIV negative, the authors found the mean incidence rate was 7.3% per year. Anti HIV positive cases were highest in injecting heroin users (IHU) about 36.8% (range 31.5-46.1%). Although numbers of IHU in Thailand have decreased in the last 6 years because of changing to use methamphetamine by smoking and dying from HIV subtype B¢. The authors must continue the effective preventive programs of both avoid sharing injecting equipments and promoting 100% condom program to control this reservoir of HIV infection.
Keyword : HIV infection, Substance abusers
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