Milken Institute School of Public Health Poster Presentations (Marvin Center & Video)
Poster Number
86
Document Type
Poster
Status
Graduate Student - Masters
Abstract Category
Global Health
Keywords
HIV, HCV, people who inject drugs (PWID), Egypt
Publication Date
Spring 2018
Abstract
Background
Egypt has the greatest HCV prevalence worldwide at 15% and a concentrated HIV epidemic in male people who inject drugs (PWID) at 6.8%, who are at a high risk for HCV infection as well. Injection drug use is criminalized in Egypt, and there is limited availability of harm reduction programs. Drug-use and sexual risk behaviors between PWID and the general population have not been studied there.
Methods
To address this gap, a cross-sectional HIV/HCV epidemiological study of 632 consenting injection drug users in Cairo and Alexandria was conducted. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was done to evaluate the associations between HIV/HCV and needle sharing or sexual practices using SAS 9.4.
Results
10.6% (63/ 604) of the study population tested positive for HIV and 61.5% (384/624) tested positive for HCV. Sharing needles with more than 10 people was associated with HIV and HCV infection (OR=3.65, p-val=0.001; OR=2.05, p-val=0.02, respectably). Age was associated with both HIV and HCV (p-val=0.03 and
Conclusions
The results indicate that the growing epidemic among PWID in Egypt may place the general population at risk for HIV and HCV primarily through sexual contact. In Russia, repressive
policies toward PWID allowed HIV to spread to the general population at the start of the
epidemic in 2000. Now, 48% of HIV is heterosexually transmitted in Russia and the country contributes >80% of the HIV cases in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In response to the epidemic, even more punitive laws and regulations were introduced in Russia, and their HIV prevalence has seen a 49% increase between 2005 and 2015. A similar trajectory can be expected for Egypt if preventative measures are not taken. Common-sense harm reduction programs like clean needle exchanges and decriminalization of injection drug use should be part of a comprehensive plan to control the spread of HIV and HCV in Egypt.
Creative Commons License
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Open Access
1
Cross-Sectional Comparison of Behavioral Risk Factors for HIV/HCV in People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in Egypt
Background
Egypt has the greatest HCV prevalence worldwide at 15% and a concentrated HIV epidemic in male people who inject drugs (PWID) at 6.8%, who are at a high risk for HCV infection as well. Injection drug use is criminalized in Egypt, and there is limited availability of harm reduction programs. Drug-use and sexual risk behaviors between PWID and the general population have not been studied there.
Methods
To address this gap, a cross-sectional HIV/HCV epidemiological study of 632 consenting injection drug users in Cairo and Alexandria was conducted. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was done to evaluate the associations between HIV/HCV and needle sharing or sexual practices using SAS 9.4.
Results
10.6% (63/ 604) of the study population tested positive for HIV and 61.5% (384/624) tested positive for HCV. Sharing needles with more than 10 people was associated with HIV and HCV infection (OR=3.65, p-val=0.001; OR=2.05, p-val=0.02, respectably). Age was associated with both HIV and HCV (p-val=0.03 and
Conclusions
The results indicate that the growing epidemic among PWID in Egypt may place the general population at risk for HIV and HCV primarily through sexual contact. In Russia, repressive
policies toward PWID allowed HIV to spread to the general population at the start of the
epidemic in 2000. Now, 48% of HIV is heterosexually transmitted in Russia and the country contributes >80% of the HIV cases in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In response to the epidemic, even more punitive laws and regulations were introduced in Russia, and their HIV prevalence has seen a 49% increase between 2005 and 2015. A similar trajectory can be expected for Egypt if preventative measures are not taken. Common-sense harm reduction programs like clean needle exchanges and decriminalization of injection drug use should be part of a comprehensive plan to control the spread of HIV and HCV in Egypt.
Comments
Presented at GW Annual Research Days 2018.