Prevention of HIV among drug users

The relationship between injection drug use and HIV was established early in the HIV epidemic, and injection drug use has continued to be an important risk factor for HIV throughout the world. This panel included 4 papers related to HIV prevention among drug users, focusing on effective prevention strategies, the importance of organizing the AIDS-affected community, the impact of knowledge of serostatus on risk behaviors, and developing interventions for drug-using homosexual and bisexual men. These papers, addressing various aspects of the epidemic and methods to enhance prevention efforts, all indicate that although extensive knowledge regarding how to reduce HIV risks among drug users has accumulated, many areas for further research and intervention development remain.