Document 0460
 DOCN  M9440460
 TI    Drug injectors in Glasgow: a community at risk? A report from a
       multidisciplinary group. The Possilpark Group.
 DT    9404
 SO    Health Bull (Edinb). 1993 Nov;51(6):418-29. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94140573
 AB    In 1987 it became apparent that the number of drug injectors with HIV
       infection living in a district in the north of Glasgow was increasing.
       As this area was well served by a wide variety of clinical,
       epidemiological and laboratory facilities, a multidisciplinary group was
       convened to examine the extent and spread of infection, and its
       relationship to behavioural and environmental factors. By 1989 a World
       Health Organisation working group had developed a standardised
       methodology, consisting of an interview schedule and voluntary anonymous
       HIV testing procedures. The study has been implemented annually in
       Glasgow since 1990, with a collateral project evaluating prevalence of
       injecting drug use in the general population. The Glasgow HIV
       Behavioural and Prevalence Study was designed to yield as representative
       as possible a sample of the city's injectors, respondents being drawn
       from a variety of in-treatment and out-of-treatment sites. Of the
       estimated 8,500 injectors in Glasgow (1.35% of the population aged
       15-55), 503 and 535 injectors were recruited to the study in 1990 and
       1991 respectively. Over 90% of respondents injected daily and reported
       injecting, on average, four different types of drugs in the six months
       prior to interview, the three most commonly injected drugs being
       buprenorphine, heroin and temazepam. There is evidence of HIV risk
       reduction for sharing of injecting equipment and for using condoms with
       casual sexual partners. Salivary testing has proved to be successful,
       less than 5% of respondents refusing to be tested; the prevalence rate
       was 1.8% in 1990 and 1.1% in 1991. While HIV prevalence remains low,
       all-cause mortality among injectors in Glasgow is high; drug injecting
       is probably responsible for more deaths among people aged under 40 than
       any other factor. At the present time, the drug injecting epidemic in
       Glasgow poses a considerable challenge to the city's public health
       services.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  Human  HIV
       Infections/DIAGNOSIS/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*ETIOLOGY/*PREVENTION &  CONTROL  *HIV
       Seroprevalence  Middle Age  Patient Care Team  Prevalence  Primary
       Prevention/*ORGANIZATION & ADMIN  Program Evaluation  Risk Factors
       Scotland/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Substance Abuse Treatment Centers  Substance
       Abuse, Intravenous/*COMPLICATIONS/EPIDEMIOLOGY/  PREVENTION & CONTROL
       Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  Urban Health  World Health Organization
       JOURNAL ARTICLE

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