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Abstract
Casual partners may be more important in HBV infection risk among young drug users in New York City: Important implications for sexual risk reduction programs
J Absalon1, C M Fuller2, D C Ompad3, S Galea3, Y Wu3, D Vlahov3
1Columbia University, New York, United States; 2Columbia University and New York Academy of Medicine, New York, United States; 3New York Academy of Medicine, New York, United States
Background: Risk behaviors for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among young drug users also increase risk for HIV. Prevention efforts have decreased HIV rates attributable to injection drug use however drug users continue to be at high risk for sexually transmitted HBV and HIV. Strategies to prevent HBV among this group have not been effective and better measures are necessary. Having multiple sex partners is known to increase risk of HBV, however there are limited data on the influence on specific types of sexual partnerships.
Objective: To determine the association between type of sexual partnership and HBV infection among young (age <30) injection drug users (IDUs) and non-IDUs in New York City.
Methods: Cross sectional analysis of baseline data from street recruited drug users enrolled in a cohort study. Participants answered a behavioral questionnaire and had serology collected for HBV and HIV. Predictors of HBV infection were determined using chi square tests and multiple logistic regression.
Results: Of 482 enrollees, 71% were non-IDU, 76% male and 61% Latino. HBV prevalence was 18% and 21% had been vaccinated. Bivariate analysis showed that trading sex for money or drugs (p=0.0007), having a casual MSM sex partner (p=0.04) or being an IDU (p<0.001) increased the likelihood of HBV. No condom use with steady partners (p=0.05) and homelessness (p=0.06) decreased the likelihood of HBV infection. After controlling for IDU (OR=3.12, 1.83-5.30) and trading sex for money or drugs (OR=2.53, 1.48-4.31), we found that having a casual sex partner who was an MSM {OR=6.87, 1.03-45.68} was independently associated with HBV infection.
Conclusions: These data suggest that casual not steady partner characteristics may be important in HBV acquisition. Further investigations are necessary to define this association which may assist in developing sexual risk reduction strategies among this group at high risk of HBV and HIV.
The XV International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
MoPeB3341
Suggested Citation
" J Absalon , , et al.
Casual partners may be more important in HBV infection risk among young drug users in New York City: Important implications for sexual risk reduction programs
.
Poster Exhibition:
The XV International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
MoPeB3341"
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