Medical-social research of HIV-infection in St. Petersburg street children and adolescents

Abstract

According to a special program, which included pre- and post-test counselling, the survey interview by a specially developed questionnaire dedicated to the identification of behavioral factors, allegedly linked with the level of HIV infection, and test for HIV from a sample of whole blood taken from a finger, 313 minors, living away from home were examined. In the course of the research, a high level of HIV infection in 15–19‑year-old "street" teenagers in St. Petersburg was revealed, which in many sub groups was more than 50%, and in some exceeded 80%. Thus, HIV infection was detected in 6 of 10 orphans, 7 out of 10 of those who had previously identified STD, and 8 out of 10 teens who injected drugs. Some social and behavioral risk factors, which are independent predictors of HIV infection were identified. Almost all HIV-positive adolescents were sexually active; the most of them had a large number of sexual partners, and they used condomsirregularly. However, risky sexual behavior affects the risk of HIV infection much less as compared to the use of narcotics, especially injective ones, particularly when teens used a common syringe. Those street teenagers who were orphans, ever lived in an orphanage and/or had no fixed living place, were more vulnerable to HIV infection.