XN000022-1992-07-31 — Page 16

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FRIDAY, JULY 31, 1992

HE SAID A STREET SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED BY THE WORKING GROUP IN MAY TO ASCERTAIN THE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE LEVELS ABOUT AIDS AND AWARENESS OF THE RISK FACTORS OF HIV INFECTION AMONG DRUG THE STREET.

ADDICTS IN

THE INFORMATION WILL HELP TO FORMULATE

APPROPRIATE

PREVENTIVE

AND EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES.

THE 314 RESPONDENTS WERE CLASSIFIED INTO FOUR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES ACCORDING TO THEIR RISK BEHAVIOUR.

DR CHIEN SAID OF THE DRUG ADDICTS INTERVIEWED:

* 36. 3 PER CENT BELONGING ΤΟ

THE VERY HIGH-RISK GROUP, ADMITTED INJECTING HEROIN REGULARLY AND SHARING NEEDLES WITH OTHERS AT THE TIME OF SURVEY.

* 20.7 PER CENT WERE IN THE HIGH-RISK GROUP. THEY WERE

WHO HAD CEASED OR SUSPENDED NEEDLE-SHARING,

IVDUS

* 22.3 PER CENT WERE CLASSIFIED AS THE MEDIUM HIGH-RISK GROUP.

THEY SAID THEY NEVER SHARED NEEDLES.

* 17.8 PER CENT BELONGED TO THE LOW-RISK GROUP AND THEY NEVER USED HEROIN INTRAVENOUSLY BEFORE THE SURVEY. BUT THEY ARE STILL AT RISK OF HIV INFECTION ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR LIFESTYLE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF ADVANCING TO THE MORE DIRECT MODE OF INTRAVENOUS USE AFTER THE INTERVIEWS.

THE SURVEYS SHOWED THAT A GREAT MAJORITY OF THE RESPONDENTS HAD LEARNED ABOUT THE DANGERS OF AIDS THROUGH FREQUENT ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST OVER THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA.

HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT 36 PER CENT OF THE IVDUS INTERVIEWED THIS YEAR WERE STILL SHARING NEEDLES WITH OTHERS COMPARED WITH 26 PER CENT IN A PREVIOUS STUDY LAST YEAR.

BASED ON THE INFORMATION COLLECTED, HE SAID, PUBLICITY ALONE COULD NOT CHANGE CERTAIN RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOUR.

HE BELIEVED THAT DRUG ADDICTS UNDER TREATMENT COULD BENEFIT MORE FROM ORGANISED EDUCATION AND PREVENTION ACTIVITIES.

AS FOR DRUG ADDICTS ON THE STREETS, DR CHIEN SAID THERE WAS A NEED TO FORM OUTREACHING TEAMS AND TO TRAIN FORMER DRUG USERS AS PEER COUNSELLORS TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THEM TO ENCOURAGE TREATMENT AND TO COUNSEL FOR RISK REDUCTION.

/AIDS VIRUS