Surveillance of HIV and syphilis among drug users in Taizhou city, Zhejiang province, 2007 - 2009

Objective To understand the behavioral characteristics of the drug users and their HIV and syphilis infection status in Taizhou, provide evidence for the prevention and control of sexual transmitted diseases. Methods From 2007 to 2009, serological tests were conducted among the drug users in Taizhou Drug Rehabilitation Center to detect HIV and syphilis antibodies and epidemiological survey was conduct to collect the data about their behaviors. The results were analyzed with SPSS 11.0 software. Results Of 1107 drug users, 26.8% were injecting drug users (IDUs) and 3.4% of them reported sharing needle with others. The male to female ratio of the drug users was 4.08 ∶ 1. The majority of the drug users were from floating population (51.5%). The detection rates of HIV and syphilis antibodies were 0.73% and 4.27% respectively. Conclusion The HIV and syphilis infection rates among the drug users in Taizhou showed an upward trend in recent years. Injecting drug use and unprotected sex were prevalent among the drug users. It is necessary to take targeted intervention among them.