BackgroundThe severity of HIV/AIDS pandemic linked to injecting drug use is one of the most worrying medical and social problems throughout the world in recent years. Myanmar has one of the highest prevalence rates of HIV among the IDUs in the region.AimThe objective of the study was to determine the risk behaviours among HIV positive injecting drug users in Myanmar.MethodsA non matched case control study was conducted among 217 respondents registered with a non governmental organization's harm reduction center. 78 HIV positive IDUs were used as cases and 139 non HIV positive IDUs as controls. The study was conducted between April-May 2009. Data was analysed using SPSS version 15 and the study was ethically conducted.ResultsFactors like age, marital status, age first used drugs, drug use expenditure, reason for drug use, age first used injection were found to be significant. Other risk factors found significantly associated with HIV among IDU were education (OR 2.3), location of respondent (OR 2.4) type of syringe first used (OR 5.1), sharing syringe at the first injection (OR 4.5) and failure of drug detoxification programme (OR 4.9). More HIV positive IDUs were returning used syringes in the centre (OR 3.3).ConclusionsPrudent measures such as access to sterile syringes and continuous health education programmes among IDUs and their sexual partners are required to reduce high risk behaviours of IDUs in Myanmar.
BackgroundMyanmar is one of the countries hardest hit by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in Asia.AimThe objective of the study was to determine HIV prevalence among the female sex workers in major cities in Myanmar and the risk behaviors associated with it.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among female sex workers in major cities in Myanmar. Interviews were conducted by trained research assistants, in private, using a questionnaire. The HIV status of the respondents was asked and confirmed by the blood test reports from the laboratories of the Myanmar National AIDS Programme sexually transmitted infections (STI)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) Teams and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).ResultsThere were 200 respondents in this study. Out of the 136 participants who were tested for HIV, 25 (18.4%) were HIV-positive. Respondents of other ethnic groups than Myanmars and other religions than Buddhist were about six times (odds ratio [OR] 5.9) and five times (OR 4.6), respectively, at higher odds of being HIV-positive. Those who were earning an income of less than 200,000 kyats were almost three times (OR 2.9) at higher odds of being HIV-positive. The difference in the age group was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.001). Respondents who did not have HIV counseling (OR 7.3), who did not use condoms (OR 1.3), and with regular partners who refused the use of condoms (OR 6.0) were at higher odds of being HIV-positive.ConclusionHIV prevention services should include socioeconomic support programs, and the clients and regular partners of sex workers should also be targeted for behavior-change messages, to reduce condom resistance.
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