Interventions to reduce the sexual risk behaviour of injecting drug users

The reviews show that IDUs in both resource-rich and resource-constrained countries have changed their sexual risk behaviours, reflecting rational and altruistic responses to a major health threat. Findings show that IDUs changed their sexual risk behaviour to avoid becoming infected with HIV and to avoid transmitting HIV to their sexual partners. Although the risk-reduction effect is moderate, it is important to implement programmes to reduce the sexual risk behaviour of IDUs in all countries. Providing evidence-based interventions is ethically responsible compared to providing no interventions. As interventions are implemented in different settings, it is important to bear in mind that stigmatisation of HIV/AIDS, or drug or condom use may limit an intervention's effectiveness. There is a need for research on adapting interventions to different cultural or national settings, and to develop and evaluate new interventions that may produce greater reductions in sexual risk behaviours.