Shooting Up: survey of injecting drug users

The Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programmes (UAPMP) survey of injecting drug users monitors HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection levels in those injectors in contact with specialist services, such as needle exchanges, or on treatment programmes, such as methadone maintenance. It is a voluntary survey where those injectors who agree to participate provide an anonymous saliva sample and complete a brief behavioural questionnaire. The survey was expanded to include Northern Ireland in 2002.

Hepatitis C and hepatitis B infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Northern Ireland, 1995-2006¹

		1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Reported laboratory diagnosis of hepatitis C infection	Total number of reports: all exposures	63	55	54	65	46	54	65	75	84	102	134	140
Reported laboratory diagnosis of hepatitis C infection	Proportion (%)indicating injecting drug use	43	53	64	68	78	82	75	89	86	100	93	100
Reported laboratory diagnosis of hepatitis B infection^*	Total number of reports: all exposures	30	31	22	18	24	42	37	67	61	60	72	78

* Northern Ireland data prior to 2003 could not distinguish between acute and chronic hepatitis B infection - in 2004, there were 20 acute cases.

To view the publication "Shooting Up; Infections among injecting drug users in the United Kingdom, 2006. An update 2007." click here.

To view a summary of the findings for 2005/06 from the five collaborating centres in Northern Ireland click here.

The findings include the following points:²

During 2005/06, there were 312 eligible samples from the agencies in Northern Ireland.
Median age was 31, 11% were younger than 25 years of age, 58% were aged 25 to 34 and 31% were aged 35 years of age and older.
The majority of the participants were male (73%).
Among the 187 who had injected during the 12 months preceding participation, 179 (96%) had used opiates and 68 (36%) used stimulants.
Among the 92 who had injected during the four weeks prior to participation, 88% (75/85) reported heroin as the main drug they had injected.
92% (269/291) of participants were receiving a detox or maintenance drug regime.
29% (90/312) of participants had antibodies to hepatitis C.
The majority (91%, 267 of 292) reported having been voluntarily tested for hepatitis C.
71% (57/80) of participants who had antibodies to hepatitis C were aware of their infection.
8% (25/312) of participants had antibodies to hepatitis B core.
76% (230 of 304) of participants reported having received one or more doses of the vaccine against hepatitis B.
HIV was detected in six of the 312 participants (2%).
77% (227/296) reported having been voluntarily tested for HIV.
21% (19/90) of those who reported injecting during the four weeks prior to participation had shared needles and syringes during this period and 30% (27/91) reported sharing of other equipment such as spoons, filters, and water.
91% (275/303) reported ever having used a needle exchange.

Reference

Health Protection Agency for Northern Ireland, Health Protection Scotland, National Public Health Service for Wales, CDSC Northern Ireland, CRDHB, and the UASSG. Shooting Up; Infections among injecting drug users in the United Kingdom 2006. An update October 2007. London: Health Protection Agency, October 2007. Available at www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/injectingdrugusers/shooting_up_2006_data.pdf accessed 6 November 2007.
Health Protection Agency for Northern Ireland. Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme. Summary of the findings for 2003/04 from the five collaborating centres in Northern Ireland. Available at www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/diaru-survey-injecting-drug-users-ni-summary-05-06.pdf accessed 6 November 2007.

PDF version