Determinants of HIV positivity among injecting drug users in Delhi and Punjab

CONTEXT: In India, the HIV positivity among injecting drug users (IDUs) stands at a staggering 7.71%. Among the states, HIV positivity among IDUs is highest in Punjab and Delhi, 21.2% and 18.3%, respectively. Interestingly, these two states are near to the “Golden Crescent.” AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the similarities and differences between the IDUs in Punjab and Delhi, in the context of vulnerability to HIV. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This study uses data from the HIV Sentinel Surveillance-2010–2011 (HSS). The HSS is a cross-sectional data collection process for HIV surveillance in India. HSS, apart from collecting the blood samples from the respondents, also collects basic sociodemographic as well as some information on the drug use patterns of the IDUs. DATA AND METHODS: The raw data from HSS 2010–2011 were used for this study. Bivariate and multivariate analyses performed to obtain the results. RESULTS: Descriptive analyses revealed that the IDUs of Punjab and Delhi are very different from each other. In Delhi, 62.4% of IDUs inject drugs for more than 5 years; whereas in Punjab, it was only 32.4%. Majority of the Delhi IDUs (86.5%) inject more than three times a week whereas the corresponding percentage in Punjab was only 29.5%. The profiles of the HIV positives also differ between these two states. CONCLUSIONS: It would be prudent to adopt state-specific strategies to prevent the spread of HIV among the IDUs.