Sexually Transmitted Infections Among People Who Inject Drugs (pwid) and People Who Use Drugs (pwud) Along the Afghanistan-tajikistan Border
Year: 2018
Type: other
Abstract: Introduction: The Badakhshan region of Afghanistan and Tajikistan is located in a remote mountain area with limited access to sexually transmitted infection (STI) services. Badakhshan has a high prevalence of drug users, however, there is limited research on STIs and access to services among this population.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 15 PWID and 16 PWUD in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan and 15 PWID in three towns in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in Tajikistan. Participants were asked questions about their access to STI services and previous history of testing and were tested for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Results: No participants in Afghanistan had previously been tested for STIs or accessed STI services. Four (26.7%) PWID were infected with syphilis and 1 (6.3%) PWUD was infected with chlamydia. In Tajikistan, 6 participants had previously been tested for STIs. Three (20%) PWID were infected with syphilis and 1 (6.7%) was infected with gonorrhea. STI services in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, are highly limited, and patients often need to travel long distances for testing. STI services are more easily accessible in the Gorno-Badakhshan region in Tajikistan, but they remain underutilized.Conclusion: Few participants had ever accessed STI services. Additional research should be conducted to examine ways of increasing access to STI care in this remote area. Many participants in this sample were infected with STIs, particularly syphilis, indicating a need for expanded STI service provision. Further research should be conducted to determine the prevalence of STIs among PWID and PWUD in this region. Given the remoteness of the region, rapid point of care tests administered by community health workers may be a promising strategy for improving STI diagnosis and access to care.
Author: Alissa Davis
Language: English
Topic: HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4213317604