Survey On Methadone Maintenance Treatment Of Novel Drug Abuse And Exploration On Intervention Strategies

Objective: This study conducted questionnaire survey and qualitative interviews on outpatients of methadone maintenance treatment in Xinjiang, tried to understand novel drug abuse of methadone therapy outpatients and explore novel drug abuse and related influencing factors so as provide scientific basis to effective interventions.Method: The study took the randomized stratified cluster sampling method and extracted1,035 qualified respondents from 6 MMT clinics in Urumqi, South Xinjiang and North Xinjiang. Well-trained Uyghur-Chinese bilingual investigators took combined questionnaires and qualitative interviews to survey socio-demographic characteristics,novel drug cognition and abuse, sexuality and MMT situation and so on; qualitative interviews also include group drug abuse and so on. The study used 5-in-1 detection reagent to measure the results of respondents’ morphine, methamphetamine, ketamine,MDMA and tetrahydro-cannabinolic acid and the results of the latest HIV, HCV and syphilis. Eventually, self-reported novel drug abuse or positive urine test results were determined as novel drug abusers.Results:(1) The 1,035 respondents from Urumqi, South Xinjiang and North Xinjiang were characterized by average age: 39.10 ± 7.16, males accounting for 88.2%, Uyghur accounting for 67.8%, junior high education level and below accounting for 82.36%, the unemployed accounting for 51.2%, the married accounting for 65.2%, living with family accounting for 87.0%, living harmoniously with family accounting for 78.5%, reported novel drug abuse accounting for 67.8%, identifying novel drugs accounting for 96.4%(678/703), 32.6%(229/703) having used novel drugs, with regular sexual partner over the latest half a year accounting for 63.0%, with casual partner accounting for 13.2%,methadone maintenance treatment for more than 5 years or more accounting for 50.9%,during therapy, novel drug abuse in the latest half a year accounting for 11.2%, heroin abuse accounting for 38.8%, out of control and therapy accounting for 38.5%. Lab results showed HIV positive rate 41.4%, hepatitis C positive rate 85.4%, and syphilis positive rate6.3%. Urine test results showed methamphetamine positive rate 8.4%, K powder positive rate 1.2%, ecstasy positive rate 4.5%, and the total positive rate of these 3 major novel drugs 14.1%. Reported and urine determined novel drug abusers accounted for 30.6%.Non-conditional Logistic multi-factor analysis showed respondents of high age(OR =2.009), recognition of novel drug abuse impact on sexuality(OR = 1.449) and during therapy, heroin abuse in the latest half a year(OR = 2.171) are three risky factors of novel drug abuse.(2) Qualitative interview study results: Total 47 respondents, average age:42.03 ± 7.087. This study promptly sorted and summarized the data after interview,extracted key information so as to analyze authenticity and reliability of the data.Conclusion: MMT witnesses novel drug abuse to a certain degree, insufficient awareness of the dangers of novel drugs and consequent risky sexuality. With age increasing, drug abusers will be more likely to use novel drugs. It is necessary to further strengthen health education and behavioral intervention so as to reduce sexual promiscuity caused by novel drug abuse and HIV infection.