Table 1 |
|
|
Socio-demographic, injection use and STI/HIV/AIDS behaviors and knowledge of IDUs in Karachi, Pakistan. |
|
| Characteristic |
Results N = 161 (%) |
|
|
|
| Average age |
35.9 years (18–63) |
| Province of birth |
|
| Sindh |
98 (60.9) |
| Punjab |
40 (24.8) |
| NWFP |
14 (8.7) |
| Balochistan |
7 (4.3) |
| Outside Pakistan (Afghanistan) |
2 (1.2) |
| Religion |
|
| Muslim |
151 (95) |
| Christian |
7 (4.4) |
| Hindu |
3 (1.8) |
| Education |
|
| No formal education |
111 (68.9) |
| Education received |
47 (29.1) for 7.9 years |
| Pursuing studies |
2 (1.2) |
| Married |
|
| Yes |
119 (73.3)1 |
| No |
42 (26.1) |
| Spending the night (last month) |
|
| At home |
30 (18.6) |
| On streets |
131 (81.3)2 |
| Average monthly income |
Rs. 3512 (US$ 61.6) |
| Daily spending on addiction |
Rs. 102 (US$ 1.7) |
| Common types of drugs used in injection (last month) |
|
| Heroin (White stuff) |
157 (97.5) |
| Diazepam or Lorazepam |
70 (43.7) |
| Meclizine or Promethazine |
28 (17.3) |
| Pheniramine |
61 (37.8) |
| Addict in near relatives (parents, siblings) |
|
| Yes |
30 (18.6) |
| No |
131 (81.3) |
| Average age of initiation of drugs |
|
| Age of initiation of drugs |
15.9 years |
| Average time initiation of injection |
4.4 years |
| Injection drug use (last month) |
|
| Average number of drug injections per day |
2.3 {range 1–9 injections) |
| Previous day's injection with a new syringe |
153 (95) |
| Shooting drugs in group sharing syringes |
128 (79.5) |
| Using anyone else's used syringe one to two times in last 30 days |
13 (8) |
| Paid for sex (last month) |
|
| Female |
76 (47.2) |
| Male/Transvestite |
3 (1.8) |
| Boy |
15 (9.3) |
| Condom use (last month) |
|
| Never used |
104 (64.5) |
| Sometimes |
15 (9.3) |
| Sexually transmitted disease symptoms (ever) |
|
| Urethral discharge |
14 (8.6) |
| Genital ulcers |
7 (4.3) |
| HIV/AIDS knowledge |
|
| Heard about HIV/AIDS |
149 (92.5) |
| Transmitted through sharing syringes |
116 (72) |
| Transmitted through unsafe sex |
116 (72) |
| Transmitted through unscreened blood transfusion |
17 (10.5) |
| Commercial sale of blood (ever) |
|
| Commercially sold blood |
44 (28%) |
| Average time elapsed between interview and last donation |
9.2 months |
|
1 Average number of years of marriage 17.4 years 2Average time of living on streets: 7.9 years | |
Altaf et al. Harm Reduction Journal 2007 4:7 doi:10.1186/1477-7517-4-7 |
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