Sexual partners of injecting drug users: the risk of HIV infection

The sexual mediation of HIV infection by injecting drug users to the heterosexual population has become a major issue in AIDS prevention. Infection that is acquired through sharing contaminated injecting equipment can be passed on to non-injecting drug using partners and to non-drug using partners through sexual intercourse. A study of risk behaviour among injecting drug users in the North West of England focused, inter alia, upon aspects of their sexual activity and attitudes that have relevance for HIV transmission. It was found that in those respondents with regular partners, the level of sexual activity was related to the partner's use of drugs. The use of condoms was low in the sample as a whole, including those who reported having casual sexual contacts and sharing others' injecting equipment. These data confirm the need for concern and the advisability of targetting safer-sex education on drug users.