The full paper can be downloaded below. This is an important one. Gotta love these open access journals.

[him] moderator

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Risk behaviours among HIV positive injecting drug users in Myanmar: a case
control study

Harm Reduction Journal 2010, 7:12 doi:10.1186/1477-7517-7-12

Lin A Swe (linaungswe@gmail.com)
Kay K Nyo (kaykhinenyo@gmail.com)
A K Rashid (drrashid01@gmail.com)

Abstract

Background

The 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.

Aim

The objective of the study was to determine the risk behaviours among HIV positive
injecting drug users in Myanmar.

Methods

A 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.

Results

Factors 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

Conclusions

Prudent 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.

http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/pdf/1477-7517-7-12.pdf