Trends of HIV prevalence and the demand to improve HIV prevention intervention programs among male injecting drug users in Danang, period 2017 - 2021

Abstract

To determine HIV prevalence, syphilis and describe related factor HIV risk behaviors and access to HIV prevention programs by questionnaires, HIV testing. A cross - sectional study with 450 male injecting drug users aged 16 years old living in Da Nang in 2017, 2019 and 2021. HIV prevalence was 2.7% (2017), 2.0% (2019) and 3.3 % (2021); the results increase or decrease between years but are not statistically significant (p-trend = 0.858 > 0.05). Risk behavior: the average number of injections is high, from 1.5 - 2.5 times/day; the rate of needle sharing in 1 month increased from 0.7%  (2017) to 5.3% (2021); always using condoms when having sex with female sex workers was low decreased from 17.7% (2017) to 5.6%
(2021). In the past 12 months, the rate of access to harm reduction intervention programs (get free needles and syringes, get free condoms, get counseling on condoms and safe sex) has decreased dramatically. Although the infection rate is low, there is still a high risk of HIV transmission, low access to services and a marked reduction. Therefore, it is necessary to step up harm reduction intervention programs among male injecting drug users.