HIV Continuum of Care Among People Who Inject Drugs in Iran: A Cross-sectional Study.
Nima Ghalekhani, Ali Mirzazadeh, Fatemeh Tavakoli and 6 others
PMID 36728048WHAT IT FOUND
Of 2,663 people who inject drugs tested, 95 were diagnosed with HIV; among them 57% were linked to care, 57% started ART, 49% were retained, and 15% had viral suppression.
Key findings
01Of 2,663 people who inject drugs recruited and tested in Iran, 95 (3.1%) were diagnosed with HIV.
02Among the 95 people diagnosed with HIV, 64 (67%) already knew their status, 54 (57%) were linked to HIV care, 54 (57%) initiated ART, 47 (49%) were retained on ART, and 14 (15%) were virally suppressed.
03Among the 95 people diagnosed with HIV, 97.8% were male, 81.0% were 35 years of age or older, 70.5% had experience being homeless, 84.2% had a history of incarceration, 82.1% had injected drugs for more than 5 years, and 60% injected mostly opioids.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The care steps were measured by asking participants in face-to-face interviews, not by checking medical records or laboratory results. Stigmatized or illegal drug use may have been underreported. The sample was recruited through peer referral in main cities and was not representative of all people who inject drugs in Iran. The study is cross-sectional. It describes where people were in care at one point. It does not show what caused the gaps or what would improve them.
Declared interests
The supplied article text does not provide a conflicts-of-interest declaration or funding statement. The provided metadata lists non-U.S. government and NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 15% viral suppression figure as evidence that ART is ineffective or that clinicians caused the gap. The study was a cross-sectional survey of a non-representative sample, and the care steps were reported by participants rather than confirmed from records. It does not test any treatment or service.