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

162 Abstracts WePeD6306-WePeD6309

XIV International AIDS Conference

blood and body fluids among health workers in the country this information is
needed when designing infection control programme and minimising exposures.
Methods: an anonymous survey of all resident doctors at the university college
hospital was conducted to estimate the incidence of accidental exposures to blood
and other body fluids of patients with the ultimate goal of minimizing exposures.
participants were asked to report on percutaneous injuries and splash of blood
and other body fluids on the mucosal linning and wounds which occurred in the
last 12 months.
Results: a total of 271 doctors 199 residents and 72 house officers responded
giving a response rate of 84.4%. of this 118 (43.5%) doctors had at least one
exposure in the last one year preceding the survey there was a total of 401 exposures in all. three hundred and twenty four (80.8%) of these were due to percutaneous injury while splash on open wounds and mucosal lining accounted for
36 (9.0%) and
41 (10.2%) respectively residents in obstetrics and gynaecology had the highest
exposure of 4.7 exposures per person, pathology and medicine had 1.1 exposure
each while there was no exposure among resident in public health. emergency
nature of job 158 (39.4%) and lack of protective equipment were some of the
reasons given for exposures.
Conclusions: this study emphasize the need for training of the doctors as regards universal precautions and supervision to ensure compliance with the guidelines. health education on safe work practices should be provided to all health
workers. protective equipment needed for the various procedures should also be
available.
Presenting author: Olufunmilola Kolude, Department of Community Medicine,
University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, Tel.: [phone], Fax:
[phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeD6306 Prevention of homelessness amongst HIV/AIDS
persons
H.K. Makkar, E. Powers, K. Bernier, J. Toder, D. Cooper, K. Hasheimi. Travelers
Aid, Travelers Aid, 60 Walton Street, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30096, United States
Issue: Prevention of homelessness amongst HIV/AIDS infected persons through
emergency assistance services.
Description: The problem of homelessness amongst the HIV/AIDS patients is of
concern. Due to the social stigma attached to HIV and its transmission causes,
the HIV/AIDS affected persons are still not socially accepted. They are forced to
leave their families when the families do not accept their sexual behavior (homol/hetero/transsexual), life style (substance use) and HIV infection. Families
have been found to resist coping with this dual challenge. In the absence of family
support and social non-acceptance, life is a double jeopardy for the infected. Family and social non-acceptance bring them to a state of homelessness especially
when they do not have enough resources to meet their needs. Homelessness
along with the immunologically compromised health status makes them prone to
increased opportunistic infections. The agencies working for HIV/AIDS do help
them getting into housing but most of the times it is not immediate.
Traveler's Aid of Metropolitan Atlanta, a non-profit agency, started HIV/AIDS
Emergency Housing Program with the aim of helping these people at risk with
emergency lodging while they are either waiting on the housing plans getting materialized, or are homeless. The Program also includes resettlement services, i.e.,
Counseling to help them plan, seek job or other income support, transportation
assistance for job search, work and medical appointments and also food to meet
their immediate need. In the year 2001, 196 HIV affected people, including both
adults and children, from 149 households were assisted with these services.
Lessons learned: Where housing is one of the primary needs, emergency lodging bridges the gap between the need and the goal of been housed.
Recommendations: To follow-up the cases assisted to study their present state
of shelter/housing and to assess the impact of services provided.
Presenting author: Harvinder Makkar, Travelers Aid, 60 Walton Street, Suite
200, Atlanta, GA 30096, United States, Tel.: [phone] extn.15, Fax: [phone], E-mail: kaur _harvinder@ hotmail.com
WePeD6307 Development of Modern Methods on HIV/AIDS
Prevention among vulnerable groups in Ukraine
and other CIS countries
T.E. Semikop, N.A. Kitsenko. NGO, sq.Molody, 17, 65006, Odessa, Ukraine
Background: Since 1998 in Odessa (Ukraine) the Public Movement "Faith, Hope,
Love" has organized the activity of the International Training Center on the basis
of current projects on HIV/AIDS prevention among vulnerable groups of the population (IDUs,FSW, MSM). From the moment when the Training Center started to
function up till now it has developed and conducted 10 training seminars. Specialists and volunteers from 21 administrative regions of CIS were trained in the
Training Center. All these regions have initiated the realization of the projects on
their territories. At the moment it is extremely important to conduct highly focused

workshops, facilitate exchange of exemplar experience and improve professional
skills of the specialists involved in preventive work with vulnerable groups of the
population.
Methods: During 2001 four workshops of "Harm reduction" CIS projects were
conducted by financial support - World Aids Foundation. The aim of the first
meeting was to develop a definition for "IDUs coverage by preventive activities"
for different regions of CIS. Aim of the second meeting: to study and to develop

methodological basis for identifying the effective coverage of IDUs by preventive
activities. The aim of the third work shop - Learning of the methodic gathering
and registration of the information for the analyzing of economic effectiveness of
"Harm reduction" projects. The aim of the forth work shop - familiarization with experience gained in Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia on the issues of new
activities introduction in the framework of "Harm-reduction" projects.
Results: Therefore, due to continuous interrelation of the projects an informal
network of Harm reduction projects has been established and is being fully operational.
Conclusions: Promotion of Information Support Network's activities on Harm reduction from injection drug use is necessary in order to provide more efficient
assistance to the Projects.
Presenting author: Tatiana Semikop, sq.Molody,17, 65006, Odessa, Ukraine,
Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeD6308 The need to train health care professionals in
harm reduction and drugs in Argentina
M. Mele, A.RP. Celentano, S. Inchaurraga, P. Siri. CEADS.National University of
Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
Background: Efforts must be done to improve the health care providers and professionals training on harm reduction and drugs. Some data will be presented
about gaps found in Great Rosario area in Argentina. As part of rapid assesment
and response study, in phase II of World Health Organization Multicity Study on
Intravenous Drug Use, relevant data has been collected about defficiencies in the
training of the health system proffesionals.The principal objective is to evaluate
the degree of health care professionals' knowledge about strategies and policies
on harm reduction.
Method: We interviewed health care professional, pharmacist, and policemen in
the area under study.
Results: The 100% of the health care professionals in public hospitals do not
analize the reason of the consult even though when they suspect that the patient
is a drug user; they only record the consults of infected injuries and the overdose is recorded as suicide. The 70% of the pharmacist do not understand the
problematic of drug user so they do not sell injection equipement.
Conclusions: The lack of knowledge of the health care professionals about the
places who apply harm reduction strategies, increase the risks of infection in vulnerable population.
The lack of public policies in harm reduction in drugs users in the major affected
areas, is reflected in the fear of detecting this kind users for not having a specific
dispositive for the treatment.
Presenting author: Andrea Patricia Celentano, Ricardo Gutierrez 193, (2000)
Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone],
E-mail: [email protected]
WePeD6309I Some observations concerning the contrary
evidence of syringe exchange effectiveness
D.R. Gibson, N.M. Flynn. University of California, Davis, University of California,
Davis, 4150 V St., Suite 500, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
Background: A comprehensive review of the effectiveness of syringe exchange
programs (SEPs) in reducing HIV risk behavior and HIV seroconversion among
injecting drug users (IDU) was published in AIDS 2001, 15:1329-1341. The review identified 42 published studies with evidence of effectiveness, 28 of which
showed positive effects of syringe exchange use (reduced risk behavior and/or
seroconversion); 12 showed no effects, while there were negative effects in 2.
Methods: Thirteen of the 14 studies with null or negative effects involved comparisons of clients with nonclients of SEPs. We closely examined these 13 studies
and 12 others that compared users with nonusers of SEPs (25 altogether) to discern possible explanations for the discrepant findings.
Results: We determined that all 13 studies with negative or null findings were
conducted in settings where IDU had legal access to syringes from pharmacies
as well as syringe exchange; 7 of the 12 studies with positive findings were conducted in communities without legal access. No negative or null findings emerged
from studies done in settings without pharmacy access; 5 studies, however, found
positive effects despite legal pharmacy access. Nevertheless, the relationship between legal pharmacy access (yes/no) and positive versus negative or null findings was significant at the p=.002 level.
Conclusion: Comparison of clients with nonclients of SEPs may not be meaningful in settings where nonclients have ready access to other sources of sterile
syringes. Moreover, in settings where IDU have a choice between syringes from
pharmacies and syringes from SEPs, associations between SEP use and risk
behavior and/or seroconversion may be an artifact of where particular subgroups
of IDU happen to obtain their syringes. If the studies done in communities with
legal pharmacy access are set to one side, 23 of the 24 remaining studies show
positive effects associated with syringe exchange use.

Presenting author: David R. Gibson, University of California, Davis, 4150 V St.,
Suite 500, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States, Tel.: [phone], Fax: +1
916 734-7766, E-mail: drgibson @ ucdavis.edu