Behavioral Surveillance Survey (BSS) Among Injection Drug Users (IDUs) in Zanjan-Iran

Injection Drug Users (IDUs) include more than 69.9% of known HIV/AIDS cases in Iran. The most important causes of HIV among them are syringe sharing and high risk behaviours such as sexual practice with different partners. Since IDUs are hard to reach and there is little information about them, this behavioural survey conducted to explore Zanjan district’s injection drug users in relation to HIV/AIDS. In this descriptive-cross sectional study, 61 IDUs, inhabitants of Zanjan, were selected in non-random sampling by referring to the most probable sites and places of their presence. Data was collected using a standard Family Health Behavioral Surveillance Survey (BSS) questionnaire designed especially for IDUs. Mean duration of non injected and injected drug use was 12.1±5 and 4.5±3.5 years respectively, and age of the first injection was 24±5.4 years. The most frequently injected drug was Heroin (96.7%) and the most non-injected one was Cannabis (85.2). 55.7% of IDUs injected 4 or more times per day, and 32.8% reported needle sharing. 100% of the subjects knew the role of used syringe in HIV transmitting. 44.3% had taken an HIV test, and 70.4% knew about their HIV status. The early age of starting drug injection, needle sharing, coverage of voluntary HIV testing in less than 25%, and unawareness of 1/3 of them about their HIV test status indicate the significance of priority and service delivery to this most high risk group.