Metrics details. The interplay of human immunodeficiency virus HIV knowledge and self-perception of risk for HIV among people who inject drugs is complex and understudied, especially among temporary migrant workers who inject drugs MWID while in a host country. Modified Poisson regression models investigated possible associations between major risk factors and HIV sexual risk behavior.
Level of HIV knowledge was not associated in either direction with condom use or risky sexual partnering, as measured by sex with multiple partners or female sex workers FSW. Lower self-perceived HIV risk was associated with a greater likelihood of sex with multiple partners aPR: 1. Police-enacted stigma was associated with sex with multiple partners aPR: 1. While depression and lower levels of loneliness were associated with condomless sex aPR: 1.
HIV prevention programing for male Tajik MWID must go beyond solely educating about factors associated with HIV transmission to include increased awareness of personal risk based on engaging in these behaviors.
Additionally, psychological services to counter depression and police-enacted stigma are needed. Peer Review reports. Research has shown that labor migration from low to high human immunodeficiency virus HIV prevalence countries is associated with increased risk of HIV infection for migrant workers [ 1 , 2 ] This risk is further heightened among migrants who inject drugs MWID while in the host country [ 3 ].
In addition, MWID are impacted negatively by Russian policing practices that focus on enforcing petty criminal justice penalties for migrants in general and toward MWID in particular through physical harassment and syringe confiscation to discourage drug use.
