HIV Infection

Studies have shown that the prevalence of HIV infection among people with serious chronic mental illness was high. Prevalence rates among patients with mental health hospital or treated as outpatients are between 5% and 23%, compared to a range of 0.3% to 0.4% in the general population in the United States America over comparable periods. Some studies have reported risk factors behavior for HIV transmission from 30% to 60% of people with severe mental disorders. These risks include high rates of sexual relations with multiple partners, intravenous drug use, sexual relationships with users

intravenous drugs, sexual violence (in which women are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection), unprotected sex between men and low rates of condom use. In addition to these behavioral risks, disorders illness can also affect the ability to acquire and / or use of the information HIV / AIDS and therefore the ability to adopt safer behaviors, they may also increase the likelihood of situations in which risk behaviors are more frequent.

The Reference Group to the UN on HIV and drug use Intravenous recently estimated that worldwide, nearly three million users IDUs may be infected with HIV. Nearly 10% of HIV cases in the world can be attributed to the use of intravenous drugs mainly opioids, although the use of other substances, including stimulants, has been associated with unsafe injection practices as well as risky sexual behavior. Users mainly intravenous drug contract HIV through sharing injecting equipment, while the use of non-injection drugs, such as cocaine or type stimulants amphetamine is associated with HIV transmission because of high-risk sexual behaviors. Some addicts have unsafe sex with multiple partners in exchange for drugs or money, offering a gateway to HIV spreads and populations where HIV prevalence is high to the general population. Among the interventions to reduce the spread of HIV among intravenous drug users include, among others, the HIV testing and counseling activities, programs, exchange of needles and syringes, opioid substitution therapy and other drug treatment.

Observed in drug consumption patterns of high-risk drug which the transmission of HIV for the following reasons: difficulty in controlling drug consumer behavior, with alternating frequent episodes of intoxication and abstinence (often accompanied by a strong desire to eat) also addicts continue to use drugs even with clear evidence of the consequences and risk they entail. Preventive measures and effective treatment conducted in the ethical in the early stages of drug use and dependence can reduce the risk of HIV transmission associated with drugs. A collaborative study recently by WHO for the treatment of drug addiction and HIV / AIDS found that replacement therapy for opioid dependence significantly reduced the risk of HIV transmission among opioid addicts in low-income countries or middle-income, consistent with the findings in high-income countries.

We know that alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of sexual behavior dangerous. Because the harmful use of alcohol is widespread in many countries where the incidence and prevalence of HIV is high, the levels and patterns of alcohol consumption can have a significant influence on the spread of HIV in populations. Several studies, including those that have been conducted in African countries where HIV prevalence is high, showed there was a link between HIV and alcohol use, the prevalence of HIV infection

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