EARLY SEXUAL INTERCOURSE AMONG PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS: A NATIONWIDE BIO-BEHAVIORAL SURVEILLANCE SURVEY 2014

Background and Aim : In this study, we sought to determine the prevalence and related factors of early sexual intercourse (sexual intercourse ≤18 years old) among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Iran. Methods : In this cross-sectional survey, a total of 2,356 PWID were recruited using facility-based sampling in 10 cities of Iran in 2014. The inclusion criteria were: having injected at least once during the last 12 months and being at least 18 years old. A structured behavioral questionnaire was used to collect both sexual and drug-related practices. Participants also were asked about their first sexual intercourse; early sexual intercourse was defined as having had sex at the age of 18 years old and before (≤18 vs. > 18 years). The association of demographic and behavioral factors with early sexual intercourse was assessed by chi-square test using Stata 14.2 software. Results : The prevalence of early sexual intercourse was reported by 48.4% of PWID (95% CI: 48.4 - 49.9). Those started sexual intercourse at early ages (≤18 years old) were significantly older (current age <30 years old: 25.4% vs. 17.1%; p-value <0.001), reported out of prison as the place of first injection (96.1% vs. 93.6; p-value = 0.01), used condom at their marital sex in last 12 months (76.6% vs. 70.3%; p-value <0.001), had unsafe non-commercial extramarital sex in last 12 months (37.4% vs. 28.4%; p- value <0.001), had unsafe commercial extramarital sex in last 12 months (23% vs. 18.6%; p-value =0.01), and had a history of lifetime sex with men (22.2% vs. 11.5%; p-value <0.001).Conclusion : Our findings showed that injection drug users who had early sexual intercourse were at higher risk behaviors. Therefore, this population could be at risk of some infections e.g. HIV and HCV

Keywords:

Early sexual intercourse , PWID , Iran