A Snapshot of HIV Infection Among Injection-Drug Users in the U.S.

Despite ongoing high-risk behavior, the prevalence of HIV infection among injection-drug users is about half of what it was a decade ago.

For the first time in more than a decade, the CDC has conducted a large-scale survey of HIV seroprevalence and risk behaviors among injection-drug users (IDUs). More than 10,000 IDUs in 20 large U.S. cities participated.

Overall, 9% of study participants were HIV-infected. Prevalence was higher among Hispanics (12%) and non-Hispanic blacks (11%) than among non-Hispanic whites (6%); it was also higher in the Northeast and South (12% and 11%) than in the Midwest and West (5% and 6%). Nearly half of the IDUs who tested positive for HIV infection (45%) were unaware of their serostatus. In an analysis that combined these individuals with those who were HIV-negative, high-risk behaviors were found to be very common: 69% of the individuals reported…

Reviewing Author

Carlos del Rio, MD

A Snapshot of HIV Infection Among Injection-Drug Users in the U.S.

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Reviewing Author