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For people with opioid dependence, opiate substitution treatment diminishes heroin cravings, injection-drug use, and drug-related mortality. However, whether opiate substitution treatment also is associated with lower risk for HIV infection is unclear. In a meta-analysis of data from nine prospective observational studies, investigators evaluated the association between opiate substitution therapy and risk for HIV infection among injection-drug users.
Study participants were primarily men (61%–93%) from ethnic minority groups (15%–92%); median age range was 26 to 39. All studies involved methadone maintenance treatment. During nearly 24,000 person-years of follow-up, 819 incident HIV infections were confirmed. Overall, opiate substitution tr…