Drug use and HIV/AIDS

Drug use and HIV/AIDS
Injecting Drug Use and HIV/AIDS
The global HIV/AIDS epidemic killed more than 3 million people in 2003, and an estimated
5 million acquired the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)—bringing to 40 million the number
of people living with the virus around the world [1].
Anywhere between a third and quarter of the 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS are in the
age group of 15-24 years. Some studies estimate that young people account for as many as half
of all new infections [2]. Worldwide, new infections in young people occur at the rate of five
per minute.
Today, injecting drug use is acknowledged in 135 countries and it is estimated that more than
3 million users are HIV-positive, whereas in 1992, only 80 countries reported injection drug
use, with only 52 reporting HIV infecting among injection drug users. Drug prevalence rates
among youth can be three or four times higher than those found among the general population.
This includes injecting drug use. Although it was common to say that IDU is less common
among adolescents, in some regions the age of IDU has decreased considerably, to include
adolescents and children.