HIV INCIDENCE AND DRUG ADDICTION IN RUSSIA AND FEATURES OF THEIR CORRELATION
Authors:   National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, Ogarkova Daria , Adgamov Ruslan ,   National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, Zemskich Boris ,   National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, Voskoboynikov Aleksandr ,   National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, Tsyganova Elena ,   National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia,   Moscow City Center for AIDS Prevention and Control of the Moscow Healthcare Department, Moscow, Russia, Gushchin Vladimir ,   National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia,   Department of Virology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, Mazus Alexey ,   Moscow City Center for AIDS Prevention and Control of the Moscow Healthcare Department, Moscow, Russia,   International Educational and Methodological Center of Human Virology of the Medical Institute of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Moscow, Russia
Published: June 2024

Significance. The structure of drug use in the Russian Federation (injectable, non-injectable, psychoactive and others) is undergoing changes, which may affect the ratio of HIV transmission routes. These changes in the epidemic process require further research to form adequate measures to counter the spread of HIV infection in the Russian Federation. The purpose of the study was to identify specific features of correlation between HIV infection and drug addiction incidence in Russia and describe their role and influence on the HIV epidemic process in Russia at the present stage. Material and Methods. The study used data of the federal statistical observation forms on HIV incidence – Form No.61 “Information about HIV-infection” and on drug addiction – Form No.11 “Information about incidence of substance dependence disorders”. Data on narcotic drugs were retrieved from the website of the Unified interdepartmental information and statistical system provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. Population data were taken from the Rosstat website. The study used correlation analysis. Data processing was carried out using the SPSS Statistics ver. 26. Results. The correlation analysis shows a significant relationship between HIV incidence and detection of injecting drug users in the Russian Federation. Since 2017, the relationship between HIV incidence and users of all types of narcotic drugs has become significant as well, while the share of injecting drug users among all drug users dropped from 50% in 2011 to 18.7% in 2021. According to data for 2017 to 2021, the number of crimes related to illicit drug trafficking, as well as the amount of narcotic drugs withdrawn and the number of administrative offenses related to illicit drug trafficking are decreasing. Conclusion. Changes in the structure of drug use – a decrease in the share of the opioid group and an increase in the share of synthetic drug use leads to a change in the structure of infection among all drug users – the share of sexual transmission is increasing; while the share of the injection is decreasing. Presumably, non-injectable psychoactive substances play an increasing role among the factors predisposing to risky sexual behavior, and the risk group is not limited to injecting drug users only. For the purpose of a further epidemiological analysis it seems appropriate to divide the risk group of drug users into injecting drug users and non–injecting drug users.