Don Des Jarlais
Don Des Jarlais
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Professor of Epidemiology
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Professional overview
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Dr. Don Des Jarlais is a leader in the fields of AIDS and injecting drug use, and has published extensively on these topics including articles in The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Science, and Nature.
He is active in international research, having collaborated on studies in many different countries. He serves as a consultant to various institutions, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the National Academy of Sciences, and the World Health Organization.
Dr. Des Jarlais’ research has received numerous awards, including a New York State Department of Health Commissioner’s award for promoting the health of persons who use drugs. He formerly served as avcommissioner for the National Commission on AIDS; as a core group member of the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Injecting Drug Use; and as a member of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Des Jarlais is also an adjunct faculty of psychiatry and preventive medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and guest investigator at Rockefeller University in New York.
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Education
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BA, Behavioral Science, Rice University, Houston, TXPhD, Social Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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Areas of research and study
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EpidemiologyHIV/AIDSPsychology
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Publications
Publications
A cohort study revealed high mortality among people who inject drugs in Hai Phong, Vietnam
AbstractVinh, V. H., Vallo, R., Giang, H. T., Huong, D. T., Oanh, K. T. H., Khue, P. M., Thanh, N. T. T., Quillet, C., Rapoud, D., Michel, L., De Perre, P. V., Feelemyer, J., Moles, J. P., Cournil, A., Jarlais, D. D., Laureillard, D., & Nagot, N. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Journal of Clinical EpidemiologyVolume
139Page(s)
38-48AbstractObjective: To estimate the residual mortality rate among people who inject drugs (PWID) in a Low-Middle Income Countries context where the HIV epidemic has been controlled and methadone coverage is high. Study design and setting: PWID from Haiphong, Vietnam, were recruited through three annual respondent-driven sampling surveys that fueled two cohorts of PWID with HIV (n = 761) and without HIV (n = 897), with bi-annual follow-up. Presumed causes of death were ascertained from medical records and/or interviews of participants family. Results: Among the 1658 participants with a median follow-up of 2 years, 67 and 36 died in the HIV-positive and HIV-negative cohort, respectively, yielding crude mortality rates of 4.3 (95% Confidence interval (CI): 3.3-5.4) per 100 person-years of follow-up (PYFU) and 1.9 (CI: 1.4-2.6) per 100 PYFU. In the HIV-positive cohort, in which 81% of participants had undetectable viral load, the two main causes of death were tuberculosis and HIV-related diseases. In the HIV-negative cohort, the two main causes of death were liver-related diseases and overdose. In a time-dependent multivariable model, “unsuppressed viral load” was associated with increased risk of mortality, whereas “being on methadone” or “being employed” was associated with a lower risk. Conclusion: Despite a very successful HIV and methadone program, the mortality remains high among PWID in Vietnam, largely due to curable infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and viral hepatitis.A Multistage Process Model of How a Person Who Currently Injects Drugs Comes to Assist Persons Who Do not Inject with Their First Injections
AbstractDes Jarlais, D. C., Arasteh, K., Barnes, D. M., Feelemyer, J., Berg, H., Raag, M., Talu, A., Org, G., Tross, S., & Uuskula, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Frontiers in SociologyVolume
6AbstractInjecting drugs for the first time almost always requires assistance from an experienced person who injects drugs (PWID). While there has been moderate amount of research on PWID who assist with first injections, most of this research has focused on identifying characteristics of PWID who assist with first injections. We do not have a formal model that describes how the minority of PWID come to assist do so, while the majority never assist. Through comparison of persons who did or did not recently assist with first injections using data from PWID in Tallinn, Estonia (N = 286) and Staten Island, New York City (N = 101), we developed a formal multi-stage model of how PWID come to assist with first injections. The model had a primary pathway 1) of engaging in “injection promoting” behaviors, 2) being asked to assist, and 3) assisting. Statistical testing using odds ratios showed participation in each stage was strongly associated with participation in the next stage (all odds ratios >3.0) and the probabilities of assisting significantly increased with participation in the successive stages. We then used the model to compare engagement in the stages pre-vs. post participation in an intervention, and to compare persons who recently assisted to persons who had assisted in the past but had not recently assisted and to persons who had never assisted. Advantages of a formal model for how current PWID come to assist with first injections include: facilitating comparisons across different PWID populations and assessing strengths and limitations of interventions to reduce assisting with first injections.An application of agent-based modeling to explore the impact of decreasing incarceration rates and increasing drug treatment access on sero-discordant partnerships among people who inject drugs
AbstractLinton, S. L., Jarlais, D. C., Ornstein, J. T., Kasman, M., Hammond, R., Kianian, B., Smith, J. C., Wolfe, M. E., Ross, Z., German, D., Flynn, C., Raymond, H. F., Klevens, R. M., Spencer, E., Schacht, J. M., Finlayson, T., Paz-Bailey, G., Wejnert, C., & Cooper, H. L. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
International Journal of Drug PolicyVolume
94AbstractBackground: People who inject drugs (PWID) lag behind other key populations in HIV care continuum outcomes. The impacts of criminal justice reform and increasing drug treatment access on HIV have been underexplored. Methods: We developed agent-based models (ABM) of sexual partnerships among PWID and non-PWID, and injection equipment-sharing partnerships among PWID in five US cities (Baltimore, Boston, Miami, New York City, San Francisco) over 3 years. The first set of ABM projected changes in partnership discordance among PWID as a function of decreasing ZIP code-level incarceration rates. The second set projected discordance as a function of increasing ZIP code-level drug treatment access. ABM were parameterized and validated overall, and by city and PWID race/ethnicity (Black, Latino, White) using National HIV Behavioral Surveillance data, administrative ZIP code-level data, surveillance reports and prior literature. Informed by research on prisoner release and community-level HIV prevalence, reductions in incarceration rates were fixed at 5% and 30% and respectively projected to increase ZIP code-level HIV prevalence by 2% and 12%. Increases in drug treatment access were fixed at 30% and 58%. Results: In each city, a 30% reduction in ZIP code-level incarceration rates and 12% increase in ZIP code-level HIV prevalence significantly increased sero-discordance among at least one racial/ethnic group of PWID by 1–3 percentage points. A 5% reduction in incarceration rates, and 30% and 58% increases in drug treatment access, led to isolated significant changes in sero-discordance among Black and White PWID that were less than 1 percentage point. Conclusion: Reductions in incarceration rates may lead to short-term increases in sero-discordant partnerships among some PWID by increasing community-level HIV prevalence. Efforts to increase HIV testing, engagement in care and community reintegration post release, should be strengthened in the wake of incarceration reform. Additional research should confirm these findings and explore the lack of widespread impacts of drug treatment in this study.Behavioral correlates of COVID-19 worry: Stigma, knowledge, and news source
AbstractMeltzer, G. Y., Chang, V. W., Lieff, S. A., Grivel, M. M., Yang, L. H., & Des Jarlais, D. C. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
International journal of environmental research and public healthVolume
18Issue
21AbstractNon-adherence to COVID-19 guidelines may be attributable to low levels of worry. This study assessed whether endorsing COVID-19-stigmatizing restrictions, COVID-19 knowledge, and preferred news source were associated with being ‘very worried’ versus ‘not at all’ or ‘somewhat’ worried about contracting COVID-19. Survey data were collected in July–August 2020 from N = 547 New York State (NYS) and N = 504 national Amazon MTurk workers. Respondents who endorsed COVID-19 stigmatizing restrictions (NYS OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.31, 2.92; national OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.06, 3.08) and consumed commercial news (NYS OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.21, 2.96; national OR 1.93; 95% CI 1.24, 3.00) were more likely to be very worried. National respondents who consumed The New York Times (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.00, 2.29) were more likely to be very worried, while those with little knowledge (OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.13, 0.43) were less likely to be very worried. NYS (OR 2.66; 95% CI 1.77, 4.00) and national (OR 3.17; 95% CI 1.95, 5.16) respondents with probable depression were also more likely to be very worried. These characteristics can help identify those requiring intervention to maximize perceived threat to COVID-19 and encourage uptake of protective behaviors while protecting psychological wellbeing.Facilitating engagement of persons with opioid use disorder in treatment for hepatitis C virus infection via telemedicine: Stories of onsite case managers
AbstractTalal, A. H., Jaanimägi, U., Davis, K., Bailey, J., Bauer, B. M., Dharia, A., George, S., McLeod, A., Morton, K., Nugent, A., Zeremski, M., Dinani, A., Des Jarlais, D. C., Perumalswami, P. V., Tobin, J. N., & Dickerson, S. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Journal of Substance Abuse TreatmentVolume
127AbstractAlthough hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has high prevalence and incidence in persons with opioid use disorder (PWOUD), their engagement in HCV care has been limited due to a variety of factors. In an ongoing multisite study at 12 opioid treatment programs (OTPs) throughout New York State (NYS), we have been evaluating telemedicine accompanied by onsite administration of direct acting antiviral (DAA) medications compared with usual care including offsite referral to a liver specialist for HCV management. Each site has a case manager (CM) who is responsible for all study-related activities including participant recruitment, facilitating telemedicine interactions, retention in care, and data collection. Our overall objective is to analyze CM experiences of clients' stories and events to understand how the telemedicine model facilitates HCV treatment. Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to interpret and to explicate common meanings and shared practices of the phenomena of case management, and a focus group with CMs was conducted to reinforce and expand on key themes identified from the CMs' stories. We identified three themes: (1) building trust, (2) identification of multiple competing priorities, and (3) development of personalized care approaches. Our results illustrate that trust is a fundamental pillar on which the telemedicine system can be based. Participants' experiences at the OTP can reinforce trust. Understanding the specific competing priorities and routinizing dedicated personalized approaches to overcome them are key to increasing participation in HCV care among PWOUD.Is the severity of the Great Recession's aftershocks correlated with changes in access to the combined prevention environment among people who inject drugs?
AbstractWise, A., Kianian, B., Chang, H. H., Linton, S., Wolfe, M. E., Smith, J., Tempalski, B., Jarlais, D. D., Ross, Z., Semaan, S., Wejnert, C., Broz, D., & Cooper, H. L. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
International Journal of Drug PolicyVolume
95AbstractBackground: The 2008 Recession was a global event that led to funding cuts for programs and services in the United States; though this recession officially ended in 2009, its aftershocks continued through 2012. We evaluated the relationship between the severity of the Great Recession's aftermath and spatial access to combined prevention services (i.e. HIV testing, syringe service programs, substance use disorder treatment program) for people who inject drugs (PWID) living in 19 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the United States. Methods: The unit of analysis was the ZIP code; we sampled ZIP codes in these 19 MSAs where ≥1 PWID lived in 2009 and 2012, according to the CDC's National HIV Behavioral Surveillance. We used administrative data to describe the combined prevention environment (i.e., spatial access to HIV testing) for each ZIP code, and measured the severity of the recession's aftermath in each ZIP code, and in the counties and MSAs where these ZIP codes were located. Multilevel modeling estimated associations between changes in the aftermath of the Great Recession and ZIP code-level changes in spatial access to combined prevention services from 2009 to 2012. Results: 675 ZIP codes located in 36 counties and 19 MSAs were included in this analysis. From 2009 to 2012, 21% of ZIP code areas lost access to combined prevention services and 14% gained access. ZIP codes with higher poverty rates relative to their respective MSAs were less likely to lose access (aOR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.95) and more likely to gain access (aOR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.09); there is some evidence to suggest the former association was attenuated for ZIP codes with higher percentages of non-Hispanic white residents. Conclusion: Combined prevention services for PWID living in these 675 ZIP codes demonstrated resilience in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Future research should explore whether community-based and federal HIV prevention initiatives contributed to this resilience, particularly in areas with higher concentrations of people of color.Is your syringe services program cost-saving to society? A methodological case study
AbstractDes Jarlais, D. C., Feelemyer, J., McKnight, C., Knudtson, K., & Glick, S. N. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Harm Reduction JournalVolume
18Issue
1AbstractBackground: While there is a general acceptance among public health officials and policy-makers that syringe services programs can be effective in reducing HIV transmission among persons who inject drugs, local syringe services programs are often asked to provide economic justifications for their activities. A cost-effectiveness study, estimating the cost of preventing one HIV infection, would be the preferred methods for addressing this economic question, but few local syringe services programs have the needed data, staff and epidemiologic modeling resources needed for a cost–effectiveness study. We present a method for estimating a threshold value for the number of HIV infections prevented above which the program will be cost-saving to society. An intervention is considered “cost-saving” when it leads to a desirable health outcome a lower cost than the alternative. Methods: The research literature on the effectiveness of syringe services programs in controlling HIV transmission among persons who inject drugs and guidelines for syringe services program that are “functioning very well” were used to estimate the cost-saving threshold at which a syringe services program becomes cost-saving through preventing HIV infections versus lifetime treatment of HIV. Three steps are involved: (1) determining if HIV transmission in the local persons who inject drugs (PWID) population is being controlled, (2) determining if the local syringe services program is functioning very well, and then (3) dividing the annual budget of the syringe services program by the lifetime cost of treating a single HIV infection. Results: A syringe services program in an area with controlled HIV transmission (with HIV incidence of 1/100 person-years or less), functioning very well (with high syringe coverage, linkages to other services, and monitoring the local drug use situation), and an annual budget of $500,000 would need to prevent only 3 new HIV infections per year to be cost-saving. Conclusions: Given the high costs of treating HIV infections, syringe services programs that are operating according to very good practices (“functioning very well”) and in communities in which HIV transmission is being controlled among persons who inject drugs, will almost certainly be cost-saving to society.Mitochondrial genotoxicity of hepatitis c treatment among people who inject drugs
AbstractDurand, M., Nagot, N., Nhu, Q. B. T., Vallo, R., Thuy, L. L. T., Duong, H. T., Thanh, B. N., Rapoud, D., Quillet, C., Tran, H. T., Michel, L., Tuyet, T. N. T., Hai, O. K. T., Hai, V. V., Feelemyer, J., Perre, P. V., Jarlais, D. D., Minh, K. P., Laureillard, D., & Molès, J. P. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Journal of Clinical MedicineVolume
10Issue
21AbstractAntiviral nucleoside analogues (ANA) are newly used therapeutics acting against the hepatitis C virus (HCV). This class of drug is well known to exhibit toxicity on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). People who inject drugs (PWID) are particularly affected by HCV infection and cumu-lated mitotoxic drug exposure from HIV treatments (antiretrovirals, ARV) and other illicit drugs. This study aims to explore the impact of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatments on mtDNA among PWID. A total of 470 actively injecting heroin users were included. We used quantitative PCR on whole blood to determine the mitochondrial copy number per cell (MCN) and the proportion of mitochondrial DNA deletion (MDD). These parameters were assessed before and after DAA treat-ment. MDD was significantly increased after HCV treatment, while MCN did not differ. MDD was even greater when subjects were cotreated with ARV. In multivariate analysis, we identified that poly-exposure to DAA and daily heroin injection or regular consumption of methamphetamines were positively associated with high MCN loss while DAA and ARV treatments or methadone use were identified as risk factors for having mtDNA deletion. These observations deserve attention since they were previously associated with premature cell ageing or cell transformation and there-fore call for a long-term follow-up.Place-Based Correlates of Exchange Sex Among People Who Inject Drugs in 19 U.S. Metropolitan Areas, 2012
AbstractWise, A., Kianian, B., Chang, H., Linton, S., Wolfe, M. E., Smith, J., Tempalski, B., Des Jarlais, D., Ross, Z., Semaan, S., Wejnert, C., Broz, D., & Cooper, H. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Archives of Sexual BehaviorVolume
50Issue
7Page(s)
2897-2909AbstractThis study examined overall and gender-specific associations between place-based characteristics and opposite-sex exchange sex among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the U.S. PWID were recruited from 19 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2012 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance. Administrative data were used to describe the economic, social, and political features of the ZIP codes, MSAs, counties, and states where PWID lived. Multilevel modeling estimated associations of place characteristics and exchange sex. We found that 52% of women and 23% of men reported past-year opposite-sex exchange sex (N = 7599). Female PWID living in states with stronger policies supporting working caregivers had lower odds of exchange sex (aOR = 0.80; 95% CI 0.69, 0.94). PWID living in ZIP codes with greater economic deprivation had higher odds of exchange sex (aOR = 1.10; 95% CI 1.03, 1.17). We found that a high percentage of male PWID exchanged sex with women; determinants and risks of this group merit exploration. If future research establishes that the relationships identified here are causal, interventions to reduce exchange sex among PWID should include policies supporting working caregivers and reducing poverty rates.Rapid point-of-care (POC) testing for Hepatitis C antibodies in a very high prevalence setting: persons injecting drugs in Tallinn, Estonia
AbstractUusküla, A., Talu, A., Rannap, J., Barnes, D. M., & Jarlais, D. D. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Harm Reduction JournalVolume
18Issue
1AbstractBackground: Between December 2018 and January of 2019, we evaluated the accuracy of the point-of-care Hepatitis C (HCV) antibody test (POC; OraQuick HCV) used at a community-based needle and syringe exchange program serving persons who inject drugs in Tallinn, Estonia. Methods: We compared the results of screening for HCV antibodies by OraQuick (oral swab) and enzyme immunoassay (EIA; blood draw) and assessed test results implications in a high prevalence setting. Findings Of the 100 participants, 88 (88%) had reactive POC test results, and 93 were HCV antibody positive on EIA testing. Sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) for the POC assay with EIA as the relevant reference test were as follows: 94.6% (95% CI 90.0–99.2%), 100% and 58.3% (95% CI 30.4–86.2%). Of the 12 testing, HCV-negative with the POC only 7 (58.3%) were true negatives. Conclusions: Oral swab rapid testing HCV screening in this nonclinical setting was sensitive and specific but had unacceptably low NPV. In high prevalence settings, POC tests with high sensitivity and that directly measure HCV RNA may be warranted.Sociodemographic and Behavioral Factors Associated With COVID-19 Stigmatizing Attitudes in the U.S.
AbstractGrivel, M. M., Lieff, S. A., Meltzer, G. Y., Chang, V. W., Yang, L. H., & Jarlais, D. C. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
Stigma and HealthVolume
6Issue
4Page(s)
371-379AbstractTo control the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and prevent further verbal and physical discrimination against individuals affected by, or perceived to be responsible for, COVID-19, proactive efforts must be made to ameliorate stigmatizing attitudes. This study seeks to examine whether key sociobehavioral factors including news consumption and contact with Chinese individuals are associated with COVID-19 stigma as a first step to informing stigma interventions. Surveys were administered to N = 498non-representative national respondents in August 2020 via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and includedassessments of COVID-19 stigma, worry, knowledge, contact with COVID-19 and Chinese individuals, and preferred news source. Prevalence of stigmatizing beliefs was 65.46%. Odds of endorsing stigma were higher among males (OR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.07–2.93]) vs. females, Non-Hispanic Black (OR = 3.12, 95% CI [1.42–6.86]) and Hispanic (OR = 4.77, 95% CI [2.32–9.78]) vs. Non-Hispanic White individuals, and individuals with college degrees (OR = 3.41, 95% CI [1.94–5.99]) and more than college degrees (OR = 3.04, 95% CI [1.34–6.89]) vs. those with less than college degrees. Consumers (vs. non-consumers) of Fox News (OR = 4.43, 95% CI [2.52–7.80]) and social media (OR = 2.48, 95% CI [1.46–4.20]) had higher odds of endorsing stigma. Contact with Chinese individuals (OR = 0.50, 95% CI [0.25–1.00]) wasassociated with lower odds of endorsing stigma. These findings suggest that individuals of Non-HispanicBlack or Hispanic race/ethnic background, consumers of Fox News and social media, men, and individuals with college degrees or higher are groups that should be prioritized for anti-stigma intervention.Syringe Services Programs’ Role in Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.: Why We Cannot Do It Without Them
AbstractBroz, D., Carnes, N., Chapin-Bardales, J., Des Jarlais, D. C., Handanagic, S., Jones, C. M., McClung, R. P., & Asher, A. K. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
American journal of preventive medicineVolume
61Issue
5Page(s)
S118-S129AbstractDiagnoses of HIV among people who inject drugs have increased in the U.S. during 2014–2018 for the first time in 2 decades, and multiple HIV outbreaks have been detected among people who inject drugs since 2015. These epidemiologic trends pose a significant concern for achieving goals of the federal initiative for Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. Syringe services programs are cost effective, safe, and highly effective in reducing HIV transmission and are an essential component of a comprehensive, integrated approach to addressing these concerns. Yet, geographic coverage of these programs remains limited in the U.S., and many jurisdictions continue to have laws and policies that limit or disallow syringe services programs. An in-depth literature review was conducted on the role of syringe services programs in the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. Empirical and model-based evidence consistently shows that syringe services programs have the highest impact in HIV prevention when combined with access to medications for substance use disorder and antiretroviral therapy. Their effectiveness is further maximized when they provide services without restrictions and include proven and innovative strategies to expand access to harm-reduction and clinical services (e.g., peer outreach, telehealth). Increasing geographic and service coverage of syringe services programs requires strong and sustainable policy, funding, and community support and will need to address new challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Syringe services programs have a key role in all 4 Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative strategies—Prevent, Diagnose, Treat, and Respond—and thus are instrumental to its success in preventing disease and saving lives.The methamphetamine epidemic among persons who inject heroin in Hai Phong, Vietnam
Failed generating bibliography.AbstractPublication year
2021Journal title
Journal of Substance Abuse TreatmentVolume
126AbstractAims: To describe the current methamphetamine (MA) use epidemic among persons who inject heroin (PWID) in Hai Phong, Vietnam, and consider possibilities for mitigating adverse effects of methamphetamine use. Methods: This study conducted surveys of PWID in 2016, 2017, and 2018 (N = 1383, 1451, and 1445, respectively). Trained interviewers administered structured interviews covering drug use histories, current drug use, and related risk behaviors. The study used urinalysis to confirm current drug use, and conducted HIV and HCV testing. Results: Participants were predominantly male (95%), mean age of 40, and all reported injecting heroin. Respondents' reports of initiating MA use were rare up through early 2000s but increased exponentially through the mid-2010s. MA use was predominantly “smoking,” heating the drug and inhaling the vapor using a pipe; injecting MA was rare. Current (past 30 day) MA use appears to have plateaued in 2016–2018 with 53–58% of participants reporting no use in the last 30 days, 37–41% reporting low to moderate use (1 to 19 days in last 30 days), and 5–7% reporting very frequent use (20 or more days in last 30 days). This plateau reflects a rough balance between new users and individuals ceasing use. Conclusions: MA use has become a substantial public health problem among PWID in Hai Phong. Initiation into MA use rose exponentially from 2005 to about 2015. Use of MA will likely continue for a substantial number of PWID. Currently, no medication is approved for treating MA disorders in Vietnam. Current psychosocial treatment requires highly trained counselors and months of treatment, so that psychosocial treatment for all PWID with MA disorders is likely beyond the resources available in a middle-income country such as Vietnam. Harm reduction programs implemented by community-based organization staff may provide a way to rapidly address aspects of the current MA epidemic. Such programs could emphasize social support for reducing use where possible and for avoiding escalation of use among persons continuing to use.Using large-scale respondent driven sampling to monitor the end of an HIV epidemic among persons who inject drugs in Hai Phong, Viet Nam
AbstractDes Jarlais, D. C., Arasteh, K., Huong, D. T., Oanh, K. T. H., Feelemyer, J. P., Khue, P. M., Giang, H. T., Thanh, N. T. T., Vinh, V. H., Le, S. M., Vallo, R., Quillet, C., Rapoud, D., Michel, L., Laureillard, D., Moles, J. P., & Nagot, N. (n.d.).Publication year
2021Journal title
PloS oneVolume
16Issue
11AbstractAIMS: To describe the use of large-scale respondent driven sampling (RDS) surveys to demonstrate the "end of an HIV epidemic" (HIV incidence < 0.5/100 person-years) among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in a middle-income country. Large sample sizes are needed to convincingly demonstrate very low incidence rates.METHODS: 4 large surveys (Ns approximately 1500 each) were conducted among PWID in Hai Phong, Vietnam in 2016-2019. Respondent driven sampling (RDS) with a modification to add snowball sampling was used for recruiting participants. HIV incidence was measured through recency testing, repeat participants across multiple surveys and in a cohort study of PWID recruited from the surveys. RDS analytics (time to equilibria and homophilies for major variables) were used to assess similarities/differences in RDS only versus RDS plus snowball recruiting. Characteristics were compared among respondents recruited through standard RDS recruitment versus through snowball sampling. An overall assessment of the robustness of RDS to modification was made when adding a snowball sampling recruitment.RESULTS: RDS recruiting was very efficient in the first 5 weeks of each survey with approximately 180 respondents recruited per week. Recruiting then slowed considerably, and snowball sampling (permitting an individual respondent to recruit large numbers of new respondents) was added to the existing RDS recruiting. This led to recruiting within 13-14 weeks of 1383, 1451, 1444 and 1268 respondents, close to the target of 1500 respondents/survey. Comparisons of participants recruited through standard RDS method and respondents recruited through snowball methods showed very few significant differences. RDS analytics (quickly reaching equilibria, low homophilies) were favorable for both RDS recruited and total numbers of participants in each survey. DRug use and Infections in ViEtnam (DRIVE) methods have now been officially adopted in other provinces.CONCLUSIONS: RDS appears to be quite robust with respect to adding a modest number of participants recruited through snowball sampling. Large sample sizes can provide compelling evidence for "ending an HIV epidemic" to policy makers in a PWID population in a middle income country setting.A Delicate Balance
Hammett, T. M., Chen, Y., Ngu, D., Cuong, D. D., Van, L. K., Liu, W., Donghua, M., Quyen, H. N., Broadhead, R. S., & DES Jarlais, D. C. (n.d.). In AIDS and Social Policy in China: Law Enforcement Agencies and Harm Reduction Interventions for Injection Drug Users in China and Vietnam (1–).Publication year
2020Page(s)
214-231Associations between methamphetamine use and lack of viral suppression among a cohort of HIV-positive persons who inject drugs in Hai Phong, Vietnam
Failed generating bibliography.AbstractPublication year
2020Journal title
AIDSVolume
34Issue
13Page(s)
1875-1882AbstractObjective: We assessed the association between methamphetamine use and lack of viral suppression among a cohort of HIV-seropositive persons who inject drugs (PWID) in Hai Phong, Vietnam. Design: Cohort study with random effects logit modeling and mediation analysis for antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. Methods: PWID were recruited from October 2016 to October 2017; HIV-seropositive PWID were enrolled in a cohort to assess HIV viral loads, changes in drug use, risk behaviors, and ART adherence during 24-month follow-up. Methamphetamine use in last 30 days was divided into three categories: 0 days (no use), 1 – 19 days (intermediate), and 20 or more days (heavy). Bivariate and a multivariable random effects logit models were used to assess the relationship between methamphetamine use and not being virally suppressed. We also assessed self-reported ART adherence as a mediating factor. Results: A total of 645 HIV-seropositive PWID were included at baseline; 95% male, average age 40 (SD ¼ 6.4). At baseline, methamphetamine use in last 30 days was 64% no use, 32% intermediate use, 4% heavy use. Approximately 74% of PWID reported high/complete adherence; 76% were at viral suppression. In random effects analysis, recent methamphetamine use was associated with not being virally suppressed during follow-up (adjusted odds ratio: 1.84, 95% confidence interval: 1.06, 3.17); the effect was not explained by a mediating effect of self-reported adherence to ART. Conclusion: Recent methamphetamine use is associated with not being virally suppressed among PWID. The results of this study indicate the need for targeted interventions for methamphetamine use with special focus on those with HIV infection.Cost-effectiveness of direct antiviral agents for hepatitis c virus infection and a combined intervention of syringe access and medication-assisted therapy for opioid use disorders in an injection drug use population
AbstractStevens, E. R., Nucifora, K. A., Hagan, H., Jordan, A. E., Uyei, J., Khan, B., Dombrowski, K., Des Jarlais, D., & Scott Braithwaite, R. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
Clinical Infectious DiseasesVolume
70Issue
12Page(s)
2652-2662AbstractBackground: There are too many plausible permutations and scale-up scenarios of combination hepatitis C virus (HCV) interventions for exhaustive testing in experimental trials. Therefore, we used a computer simulation to project the health and economic impacts of alternative combination intervention scenarios for people who inject drugs (PWID), focusing on direct antiviral agents (DAA) and medication-assisted treatment combined with syringe access programs (MAT+). Methods. We performed an allocative efficiency study, using a mathematical model to simulate the progression of HCV in PWID and its related consequences. We combined 2 previously validated simulations to estimate the cost-effectiveness of intervention strategies that included a range of coverage levels. Analyses were performed from a health-sector and societal perspective, with a 15-year time horizon and a discount rate of 3%. Results. From a health-sector perspective (excluding criminal justice system-related costs), 4 potential strategies fell on the cost-efficiency frontier. At 20% coverage, DAAs had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $27 251/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Combinations of DAA at 20% with MAT+ at 20%, 40%, and 80% coverage had ICERs of $165 985/QALY, $325 860/ QALY, and $399 189/QALY, respectively. When analyzed from a societal perspective (including criminal justice system-related costs), DAA at 20% with MAT+ at 80% was the most effective intervention and was cost saving. While DAA at 20% with MAT+ at 80% was more expensive (eg, less cost saving) than MAT+ at 80% alone without DAA, it offered a favorable value compared to MAT+ at 80% alone ($23 932/QALY). Conclusions. When considering health-sector costs alone, DAA alone was the most cost-effective intervention. However, with criminal justice system-related costs, DAA and MAT+ implemented together became the most cost-effective intervention.Daily heroin injection and psychiatric disorders: A cross-sectional survey among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in Haiphong, Vietnam
Failed generating bibliography.AbstractPublication year
2020Journal title
Drug and alcohol dependenceVolume
216AbstractBackground: Psychiatric comorbidities are frequent among people who inject drugs, they are associated with a poorer prognosis and need to be addressed. Their interaction with daily heroin injection requires clarification. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among PWID recruited in the city of Haiphong, Vietnam, by respondent-driven sampling. The inclusion criteria were age 18 or older and current injection drug use, verified by skin marks and positive urine tests for heroin or methamphetamine. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, drug use, sexual behaviour and access to treatment were collected using face-to-face questionnaires by trained interviewers. PWID were screened by trained psychiatrists for depression, psychotic disorder and suicidality, using the MINI questionnaire. Results: 418 participants were included in the analyses. All were injected heroin users, 21 % were diagnosed with a current major depressive disorder, 15 % with a current psychotic disorder and 12 % presented a suicide risk. In the bivariate analyses, regular meth use, cannabis use and ketamine use were positively associated with presenting at least one psychiatric condition while daily heroin injection and being currently treated with methadone were negatively associated. In the multivariate model, poly-substance use was positively associated with depression (methamphetamine and drinking in addition to heroin) and psychotic disorder (methamphetamine and/or hazardous drinking in addition to heroin) while daily heroin injection and current methadone treatment were negatively and independently associated with depression and psychotic syndrome. Conclusions: Our survey confirms the burden of methamphetamine use and the protective effect of methadone but also a possible protective effect of daily heroin injection.DSM-5 substance use disorder symptom clusters and HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence
AbstractPaschen-Wolff, M. M., Campbell, A. N., Tross, S., Choo, T. H., Pavlicova, M., & Jarlais, D. D. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIVVolume
32Issue
5Page(s)
645-650AbstractThis study examines self-reported 30-day antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among 101 people living with HIV and substance use disorders (SUD) in New York City in terms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual–5th Edition (DSM-5) SUD symptom clusters: impaired control, social impairment, risky use and pharmacological criteria. Overall, 60.4% met DSM-5 criteria for stimulant, 55.5% for alcohol, 34.7% for cannabis and 25.7% for opioid SUD. Of the 76 participants with a current ART prescription, 75.3% reported at least 90% 30-day adherence. Participants with vs. without alcohol SUD were significantly less likely to report ART adherence (64.3% vs. 88.2%, p =.017). Endorsement of social impairment significantly differed among adherent vs. non-adherent participants with alcohol SUDs (74.1% vs. 100%, p =.038) and with opioid SUDs (94.1% vs. 50.0%, p =.040). Understanding specific SUD symptom clusters may assist providers and patients in developing strategies to improve ART adherence.Ending an HIV epidemic among persons who inject drugs in a middle-income country: Extremely low HIV incidence among persons who inject drugs in Hai Phong, Viet Nam
AbstractDes Jarlais, D. C., Huong, D. T., Oanh, K. T. H., Feelemyer, J. P., Arasteh, K., Khue, P. M., Giang, H. T., Thanh, N. T. T., Vinh, V. H., Le, S. M., Vallo, R., Quillet, C., Rapoud, D., Michel, L., Laureillard, D., Moles, J. P., & Nagot, N. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
AIDSVolume
34Issue
15Page(s)
2305-2311AbstractObjective: To determine whether it is possible to ‘end an HIV epidemic’ among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in a low/middle income country. Design: Serial cross-sectional surveys with a cohort of HIV seronegative participants with 6-month follow-up visits recruited from surveys. Methods: Surveys of PWID using respondent driven and snowball sampling were conducted in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 (N ¼ 1383, 1451, 1444, and 1268). HIV recency testing was used to identify possible seroconversions in the window period prior to study entry. Structured interviews covering drug use histories, current drug use, and use of HIV-related services were administered by trained interviewers. Urinalysis was used to confirm current drug use. HIV and hepatitis C virus testing were conducted. Electronic fingerprint readers were used to avoid multiple participation in each survey and to link participants across surveys. A cohort of HIV seronegative participants with 6-month follow-up visits was recruited from the surveys, 480 from 2016, 233 from 2017, and 213 from 2018. Results: Participants were predominantly male (95%), mean age approximately 40, all reported injecting heroin, HIV prevalence ranged between 26 and 30%. We had three seroconversions in 1483 person-years at risk (PYAR) in the cohort study, and 0 in 696 PYAR among repeat survey participants, and 0 seroconversions in 1344 PYAR in recency testing. Overall HIV incidence was 0.085/100 PYAR, 95% confidence interval 0.02 – 0.25/100 PYAR. Conclusion: The data from Hai Phong clearly demonstrate that it is possible to achieve very low HIV incidence – ‘end an HIV epidemic’ – among PWID in a middle-income country.Expansion of syringe service programs in the United States, 2015-2018
AbstractDes Jarlais, D. C., Feelemyer, J., Arasteh, K., LaKosky, P., & Szymanowski, K. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
American journal of public healthVolume
110Issue
4Page(s)
517-519AbstractObjectives. To report on the expansion of syringe service programs (SSPs) in the United States from 2015 to 2018. Methods. We obtained data from records of the Buyers' Club of the Dave Purchase Project/North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN), including the number of US SSPs and the numbers of sterile syringes purchased by programs. We conducted a subset analysis of states with high numbers of counties defined as "vulnerable" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results. SSP participation in the Buyers' Club increased from 141 in 2015 to 292 in 2018, with an increase in syringes purchased from 42 million to 88 million. In addition to these large increases in numbers of programs and in syringes purchased, there were also indications of instability among new programs in vulnerable states. Conclusions. There have been substantial increases in the number of programs established and the number of syringes distributed in response to the opioid epidemic. Ensuring high-quality services in these new programs will be critical to successfully addressing the current epidemic.Hepatitis C incidence and prevalence among Puerto Rican people who use drugs in New York City
AbstractArasteh, K., Des Jarlais, D. C., Feelemyer, J., & McKnight, C. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
Global Public HealthVolume
15Issue
12Page(s)
1789-1799AbstractBackground: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality among people who use drugs (PWUD). Health disparities related to race/ethnicity and immigration status also increase the risk of HCV infection and decrease the probability of linkage to care. Effective, curative treatment is now available for HCV infection and, alongside prevention, may eliminate HCV epidemics. Methods: We examined HCV incidence, prevalence and associated risk factors among 5459 Puerto Rican (both PR-born and U.S.-born) and non-Puerto Rican (only U.S.-born) entrants to Mount Sinai Beth Israel drug treatment programs in New York City, from August 2005 to January 2018, to assess the need for HCV screening, prevention and treatment in this population. Results: HCV incidence and prevalence among Puerto Rican PWUD was significantly greater than the non-Puerto Ricans PWUD. Among people who inject drugs (PWID), there was no difference in injection risk behaviours by ethnicity/birth place. Conclusions: Findings suggest HCV treatment is a necessary component of a strategy to eliminate HCV epidemics among PWUD. Findings also underline the interconnectedness of epidemics across regions, such that to eliminate the HCV epidemic in one location may depend on eliminating the HCV epidemics in other locations.High-risk behaviors and their association with awareness of HIV status among participants of a large-scale prevention intervention in Athens, Greece
AbstractPavlopoulou, I. D., Dikalioti, S. K., Gountas, I., Sypsa, V., Malliori, M., Pantavou, K., Jarlais, D. D., Nikolopoulos, G. K., & Hatzakis, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
BMC public healthVolume
20Issue
1AbstractBackground: Aristotle was a seek-test-treat intervention during an outbreak of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Athens, Greece that started in 2011. The aims of this analysis were: (1) to study changes of drug injection-related and sexual behaviors over the course of Aristotle; and (2) to compare the likelihood of risky behaviors among PWID who were aware and unaware of their HIV status. Methods: Aristotle (2012-2013) involved five successive respondent-driven sampling rounds of approximately 1400 PWID each; eligible PWID could participate in multiple rounds. Participants were interviewed using a questionnaire, were tested for HIV, and were classified as HIV-positive aware of their status (AHS), HIV-positive unaware of their status (UHS), and HIV-negative. Piecewise linear generalized estimating equation models were used to regress repeatedly measured binary outcomes (high-risk behaviors) against covariates. Results: Aristotle recruited 3320 PWID (84.5% males, median age 34.2 years). Overall, 7110 interviews and blood samples were collected. The proportion of HIV-positive first-time participants who were aware of their HIV infection increased from 21.8% in round A to 36.4% in the last round. The odds of dividing drugs at least half of the time in the past 12 months with a syringe someone else had already used fell from round A to B by 90% [Odds Ratio (OR) (95% Confidence Interval-CI): 0.10 (0.04, 0.23)] among AHS and by 63% among UHS [OR (95% CI): 0.37 (0.19, 0.72)]. This drop was significantly larger (p = 0.02) among AHS. There were also decreases in frequency of injection and in receptive syringe sharing in the past 12 months but they were not significantly different between AHS (66 and 47%, respectively) and UHS (63 and 33%, respectively). Condom use increased only among male AHS from round B to the last round [OR (95% CI): 1.24 (1.01, 1.52)]. Conclusions: The prevalence of risky behaviors related to drug injection decreased in the context of Aristotle. Knowledge of HIV infection was associated with safer drug injection-related behaviors among PWID. This highlights the need for comprehensive interventions that scale-up HIV testing and help PWID become aware of their HIV status.HIV control programs reduce HIV incidence but not HCV incidence among people who inject drugs in HaiPhong, Vietnam
AbstractMolès, J. P., Vallo, R., Khue, P. M., Huong, D. T., Oanh, K. T. H., Thoa, N. T., Giang, H. T., Thanh, N. T. T., Vinh, V. H., Bui Thi, T. A., Peries, M., Arasteh, K., Quillet, C., Feelemyer, J., Michel, L., Jarlais, D. D., Laureillard, D., & Nagot, N. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
Scientific reportsVolume
10Issue
1AbstractIn Vietnam, harm reduction programs to control HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID) were implemented approximately 10 years ago. Since then, the HIV prevalence has declined in this population, however, the impact of these programs on the rate of new HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) infections remains unknown as high mortality can exceed the rate of new infections. We evaluated HIV and HCV incidences in a cohort of active PWID in HaiPhong in 2014, who were recruited from a community-based respondent driven sampling (RDS) survey and followed for 1 year. Only HIV-negative or HCV-negative participants not on medication assisted treatment (MAT) were eligible. HIV/HCV serology was tested at enrollment and at 32- and 64-week follow-up visits. Among 603 RDS participants, 250 were enrolled in the cohort, including 199 HIV seronegative and 99 HCV seronegative PWID. No HIV seroconversion was reported during the 206 person-years (PY) of follow-up (HIV incidence of 0/100PY, one-sided 97.5%CI:0-1.8/100 PY). Eighteen HCV seroconversions were reported for an incidence of 19.4/100 PY (95%CI;11.5-30.7). In multivariate analysis, “Injecting more than twice daily” was associated with HCV seroconversion with an adjusted odds ratio of 5.8 (95%CI;1.8–18.1). In Hai Phong, in a context that demonstrates the effectiveness of HIV control programs, the HCV incidence remains high. New strategies such as mass access to HCV treatment should be evaluated in order to tackle HCV transmission among PWID.HIV outbreaks among people who inject drugs in Europe, North America, and Israel
AbstractDes Jarlais, D. C., Sypsa, V., Feelemyer, J., Abagiu, A. O., Arendt, V., Broz, D., Chemtob, D., Seguin-Devaux, C., Duwve, J. M., Fitzgerald, M., Goldberg, D. J., Hatzakis, A., Jipa, R. E., Katchman, E., Keenan, E., Khan, I., Konrad, S., McAuley, A., Skinner, S., & Wiessing, L. (n.d.).Publication year
2020Journal title
The Lancet HIVVolume
7Issue
6Page(s)
e434-e442AbstractDuring 2011–16, HIV outbreaks occurred among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Canada (southeastern Saskatchewan), Greece (Athens), Ireland (Dublin), Israel (Tel Aviv), Luxembourg, Romania (Bucharest), Scotland (Glasgow), and USA (Scott County, Indiana). Factors common to many of these outbreaks included community economic problems, homelessness, and changes in drug injection patterns. The outbreaks differed in size (from under 100 to over 1000 newly reported HIV cases among PWID) and in the extent to which combined prevention had been implemented before, during, and after the outbreaks. Countries need to ensure high coverage of HIV prevention services and coverage higher than the current UNAIDS recommendation might be needed in areas in which short acting drugs are injected. In addition, monitoring of PWID with special attention for changing drug use patterns, risk behaviours, and susceptible subgroups (eg, PWID experiencing homelessness) needs to be in place to prevent or rapidly detect and contain new HIV outbreaks.