The 2009 Needle Exchange Blood Borne Virus Serosurvey is a national survey of needle exchange attendees in New Zealand. Over a two-week period, ...
Surveillance of HIV and Hepatitis C Prevalence among Attendees of Needle Exchanges throughout New Zealand
Chantal Lauzon
A thesis submitted for the degree of Masters of Public Health at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
2010
Abstract Background Reducing the incidence of blood-borne infections (BBVs) continues to present a considerable public health challenge. Both internationally and in New Zealand, the high risk of transmission of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) among injecting drug users (IDUs) has led to the introduction of harm reduction measures, such as needle exchange programmes. These measures aim to reduce the potential harm to IDUs and to prevent this group becoming a reservoir for BBVs in the community.
Aims This research aimed to analyse the results of the 2009 Needle Exchange Blood Borne Virus Serosurvey in order to estimate the current prevalence of HIV and HCV, and the frequency of behaviours associated with the transmission of BBVs in IDUs in New Zealand who attend needle exchanges. New Zealand’s Needle Exchange Programme outlets have taken part in three previous cross-sectional surveys of risk behaviours and prevalence of BBV infections among IDUs. The research also aimed to identify trends over time in seroprevalence and in risk behaviours.
Methods The 2009 Needle Exchange Blood Borne Virus Serosurvey is a national survey of needle exchange attendees in New Zealand. Over a two-week period, all IDUs attending the participating 11 needle exchanges were invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire collecting demographic and behaviour data and
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provide a finger-prick blood sample for serological testing. Replication of previous methodology allowed for comparison of results over time.
Results In total, data from 480 respondents were included in the analysis. The majority of respondents were male (67.3%), of European ethnicity (79.4%) and aged between 35 and 49 years. Average duration of injecting drugs was 17 years. Overall, the seroprevalence of HIV in this population has remained very low (
