Source
Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Mail Stop E-46, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. csm5@cdc.gov
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
This study measured age-specific seroprevalence of HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among injection drug users (IDUs) admitted to drug treatment programs in 6 US cities.
METHODS:
Remnant sera collected from persons entering treatment with a history of illicit drug injection were tested for antibodies to HIV, hepatitis C (anti-HCV), and hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc).
RESULTS:
Prevalence of anti-HBc and anti-HCV increased with age and reached 80% to 100% among older IDUs in all 6 cities. Although overall age-specific HIV prevalence was lower than anti-HCV or anti-HBc, this prevalence was greater in the Northeast than in the Midwest and West.
CONCLUSIONS:
The need continues for effective primary prevention programs among IDUs specifically targeting young persons who have recently started to inject drugs.