Association between public injecting and drug-related harm among HIV-positive people who use injection drugs in a Canadian setting: A longitudinal analysis

- 626 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive people who inject drugs (PWID) were recruited, of whom 213 reported public injection.
- Public drug injection doubled the odds of having a detectable viral load.
- Public drug injection was associated with low engagement in antiretroviral treatment.

Backgroundand Aims Injecting illicit drugs in public settings has been linked to a higher risk of a range of drug-related harms, including overdose and HIV infection. However, the factors associated with public injecting among HIV-positive individuals have not been previously explored. We investigated the links between public drug injecting, drug-related harm, and HIV treatment measures among a cohort of HIV-positive persons who inject drugs (PWID) in a Canadian setting.MethodsWe used data from a prospective cohort of HIV-positive PWID recruited from community settings in Vancouver, Canada, linked to comprehensive clinical monitoring data in the context of an ongoing Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) initiative to examine harms associated with public injecting. We used generalized linear mixed-effects analyses to identify longitudinal factors associated with self-reported public drug injection.ResultsBetween 2005 and 2014, 626 HIV-seropositive PWID were recruited, of whom 213 (34%) reported public injection in the preceding 180 days. In a longitudinal multivariable model, public injection was positively associated with daily heroin injection (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 2.63), incarceration (AOR = 1.78), and detectable plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL, AOR = 1.42).ConclusionsPublic injecting was linked to numerous drug-related harms among HIV-seropositive PWID in this setting. Given its link with detectable VL, an important marker of poor HIV treatment outcomes, our findings support prioritizing individuals engaged in public injecting with harm reduction strategies as well as clinical and social supports as a part of TasP-based efforts to prevent HIV-related morbidity and mortality, and HIV transmission.