Table 1.
Factors associated with frequent SIF use among HIV-positive injection drug users at baseline (n = 395)
| Characteristic | ≥ 25% of Injections n (%) n = 104 |
< 25% of Injections n (%) n = 291 |
Odds ratio (95% CI) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | ||||
| ≥ 41.9 years of age | 33 (31.7) | 160 (55.2) | 0.38 (0.24–0.61) | <.001 |
| < 41.9 years of age | 71 (68.3) | 130 (44.8) | ||
| Gender | ||||
| Female | 47 (45.2) | 95 (32.6) | 1.70 (1.08–2.69) | .022 |
| Male | 57 (54.8) | 196 (67.4) | ||
| Aboriginal ancestry | ||||
| Yes | 41 (39.4) | 115 (39.5) | 1.00 (0.63–1.58) | .986 |
| No | 63 (60.6) | 176 (60.5) | ||
| Residence in DTES* | ||||
| Yes | 84 (80.8) | 207 (71.1) | 1.70 (0.98–2.95) | .056 |
| No | 20 (19.2) | 84 (28.9) | ||
| Homelessness | ||||
| Yes | 38 (36.5) | 50 (17.2) | 2.78 (1.68–4.59) | <.001 |
| No | 66 (63.5) | 241 (82.8) | ||
| Daily crack use | ||||
| Yes | 54 (51.9) | 134 (46.0) | 1.27 (0.81–1.98) | .303 |
| No | 50 (48.1) | 157 (54.0) | ||
| Daily heroin injection | ||||
| Yes | 48 (46.2) | 55 (18.9) | 3.68 (2.27–5.97) | <.001 |
| No | 56 (53.8) | 236 (81.1) | ||
| Daily cocaine injection | ||||
| Yes | 24 (23.1) | 27 (9.3) | 2.93 (1.60–5.36) | <.001 |
| No | 80 (76.9) | 264 (90.7) | ||
| Daily methamphetamine injection | ||||
| Yes | 6 (5.8) | 14 (4.8) | 1.21 (0.45–3.24) | .702 |
| No | 98 (94.2) | 277 (95.2) | ||
| Public injecting | ||||
| Yes | 87 (83.7) | 192 (66.0) | 2.64 (1.49–4.68) | .001 |
| No | 17 (16.3) | 99 (34.0) | ||
| Syringe borrowing | ||||
| Yes | 10 (9.6) | 33 (11.3) | 0.83 (0.40–1.75) | .628 |
| No | 94 (90.4) | 258 (88.7) | ||
| Syringe lending | ||||
| Yes | 2 (1.9) | 15 (5.2) | 0.36 (0.08–1.61) | .163 |
| No | 102 (98.1) | 276 (94.8) | ||
| Sex trade involvement | ||||
| Yes | 19 (18.3) | 47 (16.2) | 1.16 (0.65–2.09) | .619 |
| No | 85 (81.7) | 244 (83.8) | ||
| Non-fatal overdose | ||||
| Yes | 16 (15.4) | 19 (6.5) | 2.60 (1.28–5.28) | .006 |
| No | 88 (84.6) | 272 (93.5) | ||
| Methadone use | ||||
| Yes | 36 (34.6) | 131 (45.0) | 0.65 (0.41–1.03) | .065 |
| No | 68 (65.4) | 160 (55.0) | ||
| CD4 cell count | ||||
| ≥ 200 cells/μL | 72 (69.2) | 212 (72.9) | 1.19 (0.73–1.95) | .481 |
| > 200 cells/μL | 32 (30.8) | 79 (27.1) | ||
| Viral load | ||||
| ≥ 500 copies/mL | 29 (27.9) | 73 (25.1) | 0.65 (0.35–1.18) | .150 |
| < 500 copies/mL | 75 (72.1) | 218 (74.9) | ||
| Antiretroviral use | ||||
| Yes | 38 (40.9) | 141 (55.7) | 0.55 (0.34–0.89) | .014 |
| No | 55 (59.1) | 112 (44.3) | ||
*
DTES — the local epicenter of injection drug use and drug-related infections.