OBJECTIVETo explore the impacts of antiretroviral treatment on drug use and high risk sexual behaviors among HIV-positive MMT clients.

METHODSA cross-sectional study was conducted in patients undergoing ART (ART-experienced) and patients not undergoing ART (ART-naive) attending MMT in 5 clinics in Yunnan Honghe and Dehong prefectures in 2014. A questionnaire was designed to collect socio-demographic characteristics, ART and MMT information and sexual and drug use behaviors within 3 months before the investigation was conducted. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the predictors for drug use and risky sexual behaviors.

RESULTSA total of 328 cases were included in the analysis, among which 202 were ART-experienced and 126 were ART-naÏve. Among 152 respondents who were sexually active, 61 (40.1%) reported having unprotected sex (UPS) with their regular partners in the prior 3 months. A total of 57.6% (189/328) of the respondents used drugs in the prior 3 months. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that younger than 35 years old (OR = 3.57, 95% CI: 1.23-10.37), fertility desire (OR = 4.47, 95% CI: 1.49-13.41), partner being HIV-positive (OR = 4.62, 95% CI: 1.80-11.86), length of MMT attendance less than 5 years (OR = 2.92, 95% CI: 1.14-7.53), agreed that it was necessary to use condom no matter the viral load is high or low (OR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.04-0.51) were protective factors of UPS in the prior 3 months. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that being Han (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24-0.89), feeling having good health status (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.18-0.85), being enrolled in ART (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.17-0.60) were protective factors for drug use in the prior three months, having contact with drug using friends (OR = 4.41, 95% CI: 2.31-8.29), having experience of missing an MMT dose (OR = 3.47, 95% CI: 1.92-6.29), and not satisfied with current MMT dose (OR = 13.92, 95% CI: 3.24-59.93) were risk factors for drug use during the prior three months.

CONCLUSIONART was not associated with risky sexual behavior and drug use in the prior 3 months in this population. Future interventions should promote ART among this population, and provide education at the same time to prevent the emergence of cross infections and drug-resistant strains.

Anti-HIV Agents ; China ; Condoms ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; HIV Infections ; HIV Seropositivity ; Humans ; Organometallic Compounds ; Protective Factors ; Risk Factors ; Risk-Taking ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexual Partners ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Unsafe Sex