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Contraceptive practices of non-HIV-seropositive injecting drug users

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Abstract

Aims: To study the sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behaviours in contraception choices of injecting drug users (IDUs) and to compare the contraceptive practices of non-HIV-positive IDUs to those of the general population. Design: Two surveys were used: a sample of IDUs attending 10 drug abuse treatment centres in the Paris region (IDU) and the Parisian subsample of the National French Survey of Sexual Behaviour (ACSF). Measurements: Percentages of contraception practices were estimated separately for 81 IDU and 130 ACSF women, and for 175 IDU and 168 ACSF men, aged 25–34, not reporting prostitution or HIV seropositivity. Findings: Most IDU (77%) and ACSF (84%) women, and IDU (73%) and ACSF (75%) men currently used a contraceptive method. Male condoms were more widely used by IDUs than by the general population (64 vs. 10% in women, 75 vs. 14% in men), for all subgroups of educational level, marital status, recent multipartnership status and sexual activity. Conclusions: Contraceptives are used as often by IDUs as by the general population aged 25–34. However, the methods employed differ, with higher condom use by IDUs, which suggest that IDUs take into account the risk of HIV contamination in their contraceptive practices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Santé publique, CHU Cochin Port Royal, AP-HP, Université René Descartes, Paris, France

    Gwenaelle Vidal-Trecan, Natalie Delamare & Catherine Grenier-Sennelier

  2. Service d'Epidémiologie/U292, CHU Bicêtre, AP-HP, Paris XI, France

    Josiane Warszawski

  3. Département de biostatistiques et d'informatique médicale, CHU Cochin Port Royal, AP-HP, Université René Descartes, Paris, France

    Joel Coste

  4. INSERM unité 292, Université Paris XI, Le Kremlin-, Bicêtre, France

    Nathalie Bajos

  5. Département de Médecine Interne, Infectiologie, soins Palliatifs et Addictologie, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Faculté de Médecine Paris Sud, Université Paris XI, Le Kremlin-, Bicêtre, France

    Alain Boissonnas

Authors
  1. Gwenaelle Vidal-Trecan
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  2. Josiane Warszawski
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  3. Joel Coste
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  4. Nathalie Bajos
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  5. Natalie Delamare
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  6. Catherine Grenier-Sennelier
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  7. Alain Boissonnas
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Vidal-Trecan, G., Warszawski, J., Coste, J. et al. Contraceptive practices of non-HIV-seropositive injecting drug users. Eur J Epidemiol 18, 863–869 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025643421939

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025643421939

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