Interventions with injection drug users in Ukraine

ABSTRACTAims  To assess the effectiveness of a brief human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and counseling intervention compared to a more time‐consuming and expensive street‐based intervention with injection drug users (IDUs).Design  Cross‐over experimental design in which 900 IDUs were recruited, followed by a ‘wash‐out’ period with no recruitment, a reversal of intervention assignment areas and an additional recruitment of 900 IDUs with baseline and 6‐month follow‐up assessments.Setting  Kiev, Odessa and Makeevka/Donesk Ukraine.Participants  A total of 1798 IDUs.Measurements  HIV testing and audio computer‐assisted self‐interview (ACASI) data on socio‐demographics, drug use and injection and sex‐related risk behaviors.Findings  Participants in both conditions reduced their injection and sex risks significantly; however, there was little difference in outcomes between conditions. IDUs who knew they were HIV‐infected at baseline were significantly more likely to practice safe sex than those unaware or HIV‐negative; those who first learned that they were infected at baseline changed their safe sex practices significantly more than those who already knew that they were infected at baseline and those who were HIV‐negative. Younger IDUs and those injecting for a shorter period of time reported higher injection and sex risk behaviors following interventions.Conclusions  Awareness of HIV infection by street‐recruited drug injectors is associated with reduced sex risks. Additional interventions are required for younger IDUs and those injecting for shorter periods of time.