Addressing the Needs of Sexual Partners of People Who Inject Drugs through Peer Prevention Programs in Iran

Document Type : Policy Brief

Authors

1 School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, ‎Vancouver, BC, Canada

2 Regional Knowledge Hub, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures ‎Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

3 Regional Knowledge Hub for HIV/AIDS Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical sciences, Kerman, Iran

Abstract

Despite the fact that HIV epidemic is mainly driven by injection drug use in Iran, partners of People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) have been seriously neglected in terms of effective preventive interventions. Currently, sexual partners of PWID might have access to some harm reduction services at Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centers; however, their needs have not been effectively targeted and met. Unfortunately, the current programs implemented by the Ministry of Health have overlooked the importance of this population in the course of the HIV epidemic throughout the country. In this policy brief, we are trying to draw the health policy-makers’ attention to this overlooked population and while reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of some of the readily available options on the table, come up with a recommended action to tackle this problem. Our recommended action that seems to have had promising results elsewhere in Asia would try to implement preventive interventions targeting this particular population through peer prevention programs.

Keywords

Main Subjects


1.  Abu-raddad  L,  Akala  FA,  Semini  I,  Riedner  G,  Wilson  D,  Tawil O. Characterizing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa: time for strategic action. Washington, DC: World Bank Publications; 2010. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-8137-3
2.  Khajehkazemi R, Osooli M, Sajadi L, Karamouzian M, Sedaghat A, Fahimfar N, et al. HIV prevalence and risk behaviours among people  who  inject  drugs  in  Iran:  the  2010  National  Surveillance Survey. Sex Transm Infect2013; 89: iii29–32. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2013-051204
3.  Alipour A, Haghdoost AA, Sajadi L, Zolala F. HIV prevalence and related risk behaviours among female partners of male injecting drugs users in Iran: results of a bio-behavioural survey, 2010. Sex Transm Infect2013; 89: iii41–4. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2013-051201
4.  UNAIDS. UNAIDS terminology guidelines.  Geneva:  Joint  United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS; 2011.
5.  Nasirian M, Doroudi F, Gouya MM, Sedaghat A, Haghdoost AA, Modeling of human immunodeficiency virus modes of transmission in iran. J Res Health Sci2012; 12: 81–7.
6.  National  AIDS  Committee  Secretariat  and  Ministry  of  Health and Medical Education (MoHME). Islamic Republic of Iran AَIDS Progress  Report  [internet].  2012.  Available  from:  http://www.unaids.org/en/dataanalysis/knowyourresponse/countryprogressreports/2012countries/IRIran AIDS  Progress Report 2012 English final1_1.pdf
7.  Go  VF,  Frangakis  C,  Le  Minh  N,  Latkin  CA,  Ha  TV,  Mo  TT, et al. Effects of an HIV peer prevention intervention on sexual and injecting risk behaviors among injecting drug users and their risk partners in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam: A randomized controlled trial. Soc Sci Med2013; 96: 154–64.  doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.07.006
8.  Hammett TM, Kling R, Van NT, Son DH, Binh KT, Oanh KT. HIV prevention  interventions  for  female  sexual  partners  of  injection drug users in Hanoi, Vietnam: 24-month evaluation results. AIDS Behav2012; 16: 1164–72. doi: 10.1007/s10461-011-0062-4
9.  Haghdoost  A,  Karamouzian  M.  Zero  New  HIV  Infections,  Zero Discrimination, and Zero AIDS-Related Deaths: Feasible Goals or Ambitious Visions on the Occasion of the World AIDS Day?Int J Prev Med2012; 3: 819–23.