The Cross-sectional Study Of Amphetamine-type Stimulants Abusers Of The Methadone Maintenance Treatment Outpatients In Ruili

Objective The aim of this study is to understand the status quo of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), high-risk sexual behaviours, AIDS, hepatitis C virus (HCV) of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) outpatients who abused ATS in Ruili, Dehong prefecture and to describe their present high-risk behaviours in order to provide basis for ATS and sexual behaviour interventions for them.Method MMT outpatients in Ruili who had used ATS and whose urine test for amphetamine were positive at least three times within half a year before the survey were selected as the respondents. We designed and modified the questionnaire and interview outline after pre-tests which were used one-on-one questionnaire survey and individual in-depth interviews by investigators. HIV and HCV antibodies test were done for all meanwhile urine tests for methamphetamine and morphine for all as well. The whole questionnaires were entered Epidata3.20database and statistically analyzed by SPSS18.0.Results There were101respondents who were involved in this research. Young, male (97.03%), Dai (64.36%), farmers (39.60%), married (66.34%) and those who did not educated-well accounted for the most respondents. Their HIV-antibody and HCV-antibody positive prevalence was23.76%and3.56%respectively meanwhile the positive rate of their urine tests for methamphetamine and morphine were94.06% and15.84%respectively. Their average dose of methadone was70.00ml (median) daily, their MMT treatment time was5.00±3.52years (M±Q), The main ATS they abused was methamphetamine (deoxy-ephedrine), accounting for99.01%. The average time that they used ATS was3.00years (median).They mainly used it at their places (42.57%) and their friends’(35.64%). There were55.45%and33.66%of the respondents who used1-2pills and3-4pills of ATS per time respectively.56.44%of the respondents used ATS for1-5times monthly. Those who used it alone made up38.61%, while those with3-4friends and1-2friends accounted for29.70%and21.78%respectively. After using ATS, having sex for1-5times and10-15times monthly were44.16%and27.27%respectively. There were two and nine reported that they had commercial sexual partners or temporary sexual partners respectively after using ATS. During the period of ATS effectiveness,51.95%of the respondents never used condom when having sex with their regular partners in the past six months.Conclusion The ATS abusers in this MMT clinic mainly use the deoxy-ephedrine. Their HIV and HCV prevalence are high meanwhile some of them abuse the opioid drugs as well and they have high-risk sexual behaviours. ATS and safe sexual behaviour interventions and comprehensive HIV interventions should be strengthened in this MMT clinic in the future.