Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

XIV International AIDS Conference

Abstracts WePeC6123-WePeC6126 113

16.7% of participants were used tatooing and 3.7% were taken drugs. Women
stated significantly less sexual partners as well as tatooing than men. No one
person proclaimed to be CSW.
Conclusion: Present study revealed zero prevalence and relatively low risk behaviour in the group of gypsies in the town Zlate Klasy in SR. Regarding to the
selection of civilized part of gypsy population as well as a size of studied group
more efford should be done to enlarge the study by gypsies living in pure communities all over SR.
Presenting author: Danica Stanekova, Limbova, 14, 833 00, Bratislava, Slovakia, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeC6123i HIV prevalence, incidence, and related risk
behavior among injection drug users upon arrest,
San Francisco 1999-2001
K. Bordelon', A. Kim2, W. McFarland2, T Kellogg2, C. Kent3, B. Louie4,
J. Goldenson5, K. Sabin1. 'Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta,
GA, United States; 2HIV Seroepidemiology Unit, San Francisco Department of
Public Health, San Francisco, CA, United States; 3STD Prevention and Control
Services, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA,
United States; 4San Francisco Department of Public Health Laboratory, San
Francisco, CA, United States; 5Jail Health, Forensic Services, San Francisco
Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA, United States
Background: Data on HIV prevalence, incidence and related risk behavior are
needed to guide prevention and care programs. Injection drug users (IDU) are a
hard-to-reach population for HIV surveillance, particularly IDU not in drug treatment who may be at highest risk. Because arrest is common among actively injecting IDU, we examined HIV infection and related risk behavior among persons
upon arrest.
Methods: From 6/99 to 7/01, blinded sentinel surveillance was conducted on
persons entering the San Francisco county jail who agreed to STD screening.
Data were abstracted from medical and arrest records. Specimens collected for
syphilis screening were tested for HIV after removing identifying information. HIV
incidence was estimated using the Serological Testing Algorithm for Recent HIV
Seroconversion (STARHS).
Results: Of 7,348 arrestees, 490 (7%) reported a history of injecting drugs in the
past 6 months, including 374 males, 110 females, and 6 male to female transgendered persons. Among male IDU, HIV prevalence was 26% among men who have
sex with men (MSM) and 5% among other male IDU. HIV incidence was 5.2% per
year among MSM IDU and 0.7% per year among other male IDU. Among female
IDU, HIV prevalence was 4% and HIV incidence was 2.1% per year. Male and
female IDU reported increased sexual risk for HIV compared to other arrestees,
including sex with an HIV+ person (male: 5% vs. 1%; female: 5% vs. 1%, p<0.01),
sex with an MSM (male: 5% vs. 1%; female: 7% vs. 1, p<0.01), and sex with other
IDU (male: 36% vs. 1%; female: 42% vs. 1%, p<0.01) in the past 6 months. Female IDU had higher prevalence of gonorrhea than other female arrestees (13%
vs. 4%, p=0.04).
Conclusion: Sentinel surveillance upon intake in the local jail provided a profile
of the current HIV epidemic among IDU in San Francisco. High HIV prevalence
and incidence among MSM IDU and high prevalence of gonorrhea among female
IDU point to sexual risk for HIV transmission in this population.
Presenting author: Keith Bordelon, CDC, 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, MS E-46, Atlanta,
GA 30333, United States, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail:
[email protected]
WePeC6124 Strengthening of the HIV epidemiological
surveillance in Ukraine
Y. Kruglov', L. Andrushchak2, A. Shcherbinskaya', L. Khodakevich3. 'National
AIDS Centre, 1, Klovskiy uzviz, UNAIDS office, 02021, Kiev, Ukraine; 2UN office,
Kiev, Ukraine; 3UN Consultant, Moscow, Russian Federation
Issue: In Ukraine, starting from 1987, official registration of HIV cases as well
as sero-epidemiological monitoring is being cqnducted through detection of HIV
prevalence among certain groups of population. Main drawbacks of such monitoring are the following: limited opportunity of conducting researches in hardto-reach sub-populations, high costs, inauthenticity of received results in some
groups of population.
Descriptions: In 1999-2001, the Ministry of Health, under support of UNAIDS,
trained specialists on sentinel surveillance, elaborated sentinel surveillance protocol, conducted basic researches among IDUs and FSWs, STI and TB patients,
and also, among prisoners, pregnant women; prepared guidance. A new guideline on organization and strengthening HIV/AIDS sentinel surveillance is being
elaborated.
Lessons learnt: It is identified that HIV prevalence among IDUs according to
the sentinel surveillance data (from 18 to 64%) is 2-3 times higher than the one
revealed through the seroepidemiological monitoring. It was revealed, that the

HIV prevalence among women is higher than among men. For the first time, the
data was received on the HIV prevalence among FSW (13%). The necessity was
shown on inclusion of the components of behavioral monitoring and STI sentinel
surveillance to the system of epidemiological surveillance.
Recommendations: 1. In connection with the implementation of prevention of
MTCT, what envisages testing of pregnant women, there is no need to conduct
sentinel surveillance in this group.

2. Upon identifying the HIV prevalence rate among sentinel groups, repeated survey should be conducted once per year.
3. To continue usage of the method of testing residual blood in the used syringes
and needles while conducting sentinel surveillance among IDUs.
4. Implementation of the second generation of HIV surveillance should be the
further stage in strengthening the system of HIV surveillance.
Presenting author: Lidia Andrushchak, 1, Klovskiy uzviz, UNAIDS office, 2021,
Kiev, Ukraine, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: landr
@un.kiev.ua
WePeC6125 1HIV, HCV, HBV & Treponema pallidum infections
and co-infections in drug addicts from Lisbon area
enrolled in a harm reduction programme: the
portrait of a Public Health concern
H. Cortes-Martins', L. Rodrigues2, M.A. Rocha3, R. Sobral', C. Almeida',
E. Padua', R. Coutinho4, E. Leitho4, R. Silva4, M.T. Paixao5. 'NIH - AIDS
Reference Laboratory, National Institute of Health, AIDS Reference Laboratory,
Av Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal; 2NIH - Laboratory of Immunology,
Lisbon, Portugal; 3NIH - Laboratory of Bacterial Serology Lisbon, Portugal;
4Associagio Ares do Pinhal, Lisbon, Portugal; 5NIH - Communicable Diseases
Surveillance Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
Background: Portugal is the Western European country with the highest and
rising incidence of AIDS cases and since 1994 drug addition is the main risk behaviour associated with AIDS and HIV infection reported cases. A dramatic rise
in HCV infection cases associated with drug abuse has also been described. A
high number of drug users do not voluntarily attend available Health Centres for
drug addiction treatment and efforts are being made in order to reach this at risk
population. The aim of this study is to determine the percentage of infections
and co-infections by HIV, HCV, HBV and T. pallidum in a group of drug addicts
at the time of voluntary enrolment in a new harm reduction and low threshold
methadone field programme in Lisbon area.
Methods: 301 individuals, aged between 18 and 58, enrolled in the first 14 weeks
of the programme, were screened for HIV, HCV, HBV and treponemal serologic
infection markers as part of clinical assessment. A cross sectional serological
study was conducted.
Results: Of the 301 cases analysed, 259 (86,0%) were males, and 42 (14,0%)
were females. The positive markers findings by screened agent and the infection
patterns of the study population are summarized in tables 1 and 2 respectively.
Table 1
HIV Ab HCV Ab HBs Ag Syphilis
Study Population n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%)
Males (n=259) 82(31,7) 203 (78,4) 14(5,4) 15(5,8)
Females (n=42) 13(31,0) 30(71,4) 0(0) 6(14,3)
Total (n=301) 95 (31,6) 233 (77,4) 14 (4,7) 21 (7,0)
Table 2
Infection patterns Cases%
3 or more agents 18 6,0
2 agents 84 27,9
Single agent 140 46,5
Inconclusive cases 2 0,7
No infection detected 57 18,9
Conclusions: The overall proportion of cases with 2 or more infection markers may result from specific risk behaviours in this group. The pattern of infection
markers in this population shows that 102 cases (33,9%), had co-infections which
may provide an indication of high morbidity. Public Health implications of the infection pattern found and consequent morbidity, should be further assessed in
order to establish the future impact on Health Care costs.
Presenting author: Helena Cortes Martins, National Institute of Health, AIDS
Reference Laboratory, Av Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal, Tel.: +351 21
751 92 05, Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeC6126 Ketamine injection initiation among high risk
youth: HIV risk in a hidden population
S.E. Lankenau M.C. Clatts. Columbia University Columbia University Mailman
School of Public Health, 722 W 168th St., Suite 1040, New York, NY 10032,
United States
Background: Ketamine, a conger of phencyclidine (PCP), is an emerging drug
of abuse among high risk youth. The limited existing data on ketamine - often
described as a "club drug" - presumes non-injected modes of administration, and
HIV risk has been assessed in relation to increased for sexual transmission.

Methods: We interviewed 40 high risk youth (n=40) who had used injection as
a mode of administrating ketamine, and asked detailed questions about injection initiation and risk practices. Applying participant observation methods, we
recruited a diverse sample of out-of-treatment youth, aged 18-25, from streets
and parks in New York City.
Results: Ketamine was the first drug injected for most of the sample. Ketamine
injection initiation practices differed from other injectable drugs: ketamine was