HIV, Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis B Infections and Associated Risk Behavior in Injection Drug Users, Kabul, Afghanistan

Behavior of injection drug users increases the risk for an HIV epidemic

Association between expatriation and HIV awareness and knowledge among injecting drug users in Kabul, Afghanistan: A cross-sectional comparison of former refugees to those remaining during conflict

BACKGROUND: Little is known about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) awareness among Afghan injecting drug users (IDUs), many of whom initiated injecting as refugees. We explored whether differences in HIV awareness and knowledge exist between Afghan IDUs who were refugees compared to those never having left Afghanistan. METHODS: A convenience sample of IDUs in Kabul, Afghanistan was recruited into a cross-sectional study through street outreach over a one year period beginning in 2005. Participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire and underwent voluntary counseling and testing for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B surface antigen, and hepatitis C antibody. Differences in HIV awareness and specific HIV knowledge between IDU who lived outside the country in the last decade versus those who had not were assessed with logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 464 IDUs, 463 (99%) were male; median age and age at first injection were 29 and 25 years, respectively. Most (86.4%) had lived or worked outside the country in the past ten years. Awareness of HIV was reported by 46.1%; those having been outside the country in the last decade were significantly more likely to have heard of HIV (48.3% vs. 31.7%; OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.14 – 3.53). However, of those aware of HIV, only 38.3% could name three correct transmission routes; specific HIV knowledge was not significantly associated with residence outside the country. CONCLUSION: Accurate HIV knowledge among Afghan IDUs is low, though former refugees had greater HIV awareness. Reported high-risk injecting behavior was not significantly different between IDU that were refugees and those that did not leave the country, indicating that all Afghan IDU should receive targeted prevention programming

HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B infections and associated risk behavior in injection drug users, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Limited prevalence data for HIV, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) exist for Afghanistan. We studied a cross-sectional sample of adult injection drug users (IDUs) in Kabul, Afghanistan, from June 2005 through June 2006. Study participants completed interviewer-administered questionnaires and underwent testing for HIV, antibody to HCV, and HBsAg. Overall prevalences of HIV, HCV, and HBsAg were 3.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7%-5.1%), 36.6% (95% CI 32.2%-41.0%), and 6.5% (95% CI 4.2%-8.7%), respectively (N = 464). Among male IDUs (n = 463), risky behavior, including sharing syringes (50.4%), paying women for sex (76.2%), and having sex with men or boys (28.3%), were common. Needle sharing, injecting for > or = 3 years, and receiving injections from nonmedical providers were independently associated with increased risk for HCV infection. The high prevalence of risky behavior indicate that Kabul is at risk for an HIV epidemic. Scale-up of harm-reducing interventions is urgently needed

HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C prevalence and associated risk behaviors among female sex workers in three Afghan cities

OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus and associated risk behaviors among female sex workers (FSWs) in three Afghan cities. Design: Cross-sectional prevalence assessment. METHODS: Consented FSWs from Jalalabad, Kabul, and Mazar-i-Sharif completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire, pre and post-test counseling, and rapid and confirmatory testing for HIV, HCV, HBV and syphilis. Logistic regression was used to detect correlates associated with HBV infection. RESULTS: Of 520 participants, median age and age of initiating sex work were 29 and 23 years, respectively, and median number of monthly clients was 12. Few FSWs reported ever having used illicit drugs (6.9%) or alcohol (4.7%). Demographic and risk behaviors varied significantly by enrollment site, with Kabul FSWs more likely to report sexually-transmitted infection (STI) symptoms, longer sex work duration, and sex work in other cities. Prevalence of HIV was 0.19%, HCV was 1.92%, and HBV was 6.54%, with no cases of syphilis detected. HBV was independently associated with ≥12 clients monthly (AOR=3.15, 95% CI: 1.38 – 7.17), ever using alcohol (AOR=2.61, 95% CI: 1.45 – 4.69), anal sex (AOR=2.42, 95% CI: 1.15 – 5.08), and having children (AOR=2.12, 95% CI: 1.72 – 2.63) in site-controlled multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: While prevalence of HIV, HCV, and syphilis is currently low in these three Afghan cities, risky sexual practices were common and associated with HBV. Programming inclusive of voluntary testing for HIV, viral hepatitis, and STIs, hepatitis vaccination, substance abuse prevention, and condom promotion for both FSWs and clients should be pursued in Afghanistan

Contraceptive Utilization and Pregnancy Termination Among Female Sex Workers in Afghanistan

To determine the prevalence and correlates of prior pregnancy termination and unmet need for contraception among female sex workers (FSWs) in Afghanistan

Implications of hepatitis C viremia vs. antibody alone on transmission among male injecting drug users in three Afghan cities

SummaryObjectivesTo assess differences between injecting drug users (IDUs) with hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia and IDUs with HCV antibody (Ab) or no evidence of prior infection in three Afghan cities.MethodsIDUs in Hirat, Jalalabad, and Mazar-i-Sharif completed questionnaires and rapid testing for blood-borne infections including HCV Ab. HCV Ab was confirmed with a recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA); RIBA-positive specimens underwent reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for HCV. Risk behaviors associated with viremia were assessed with site-controlled ordinal regression analysis.ResultsOf 609 participants, 223 (36.6%) had confirmed HCV Ab. Of 221 with serum available for PCR evaluation, 127 (57.5%) were viremic. HCV viremia prevalence did not differ by site (range 41.7–59.1%; p=0.52). Among all IDUs, in age and site-controlled ordinal regression analysis, HCV was independently associated with HIV co-infection (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 7.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.41–11.64), prior addiction treatment (AOR 1.95, 95% CI 1.57–2.42), ever aspirating and re-injecting blood (AOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.18–2.23), prior incarceration (AOR 1.60, 95% CI 1.04–2.45), and sharing injecting equipment in the last 6 months (AOR 1.35, 95% CI 1.02–1.80).ConclusionHCV viremia was present in many participants with prior HCV infection and was associated with some injecting risk behaviors, indicating a substantial risk for transmission. Current harm reduction programs should aim to improve HCV awareness and prevention among IDUs in Afghanistan as a matter of urgency