Table 1.
Characteristics of HIV-positive people who inject drugs meeting study eligibility criteria: British Columbia, Canada, 1996–2010.
| Variable | N(%)/Median (IQR) |
|---|---|
| Number of HIV-positive clients in OST | 1852 |
| Age (years) | 35 (29–41) |
| <30 | 371 (20%) |
| 30–39 | 729 (39%) |
| 40–49 | 553 (30%) |
| 50+ | 199 (11%) |
| Female sex | 629 (34%) |
| Aboriginal | |
| Yes | 492 (27%) |
| No | 1360 (73%) |
| Place of residence (HA) at baseline | |
| Interior | 118 (6%) |
| Fraser | 445 (24%) |
| Vancouver Coastal | 908 (49%) |
| Vancouver Island | 294 (16%) |
| Northern | 87 (5%) |
| On HAART at baselinea | 966 (52%) |
| On OST at baselinea | 372 (20%) |
| On HAART and OST at baselinea | 98 (5%) |
| CD4+ cell count at baseline (cells/μl) | |
| Missing | 89 (5%) |
| <200 | 570 (31%) |
| 200–499 | 806 (44%) |
| ≥500 | 387 (21%) |
| OST medication dosage at baseline | |
| Titration | 102 (6%) |
| Taper | 153 (8%) |
| Minimum (max dosage ≥60 mg) | 208 (11%) |
| Low (max dosage <60 mg) | 56 (3%) |
| Off therapy | 1333 (72%) |
| Number of prior OST episodes at baseline | 0 (0–1) |
| 0 | 1133 (61%) |
| 1 | 423 (23%) |
| ≥2 | 296 (16%) |
| CCI (>0) at baseline | 585 (32%) |
| AIDS at baseline | 318 (17%) |
| Calendar year at baseline | |
| 1996–1999 | 853 (46%) |
| 2000–2003 | 364 (20%) |
| 2004–2007 | 635 (34%) |
| Number of deaths during follow-up | 465 (25%) |
| Ever accessed HAART during follow-up | 1640 (89%) |
| Ever accessed OST during follow-up | 932 (50%) |
CCI, Charlson comorbidity index; IQR, interquartile range; OST, opioid substitution treatment.
a
On HAART/OST (≥95% medication refill adherence in a month)