ABSTRACT
A review of trends in HIV risk behaviour among injecting drug users (IDUs) reported at the Berlin AIDS Conference in 1993 revealed considerable variations in patterns in different nations (Deren et al., 1993). In general, however, there seemed to be an overall decline in the sharing of injecting equipment. Sharing now seems to be most pronounced among IDUs who have close personal relationships with other injectors and inject in their company (Barnard, 1993; Darke et al., 1994; Klee et al., 1993; Ross et al., 1994). There is still little evidence of a decline in unprotected sex (Deren, 1993, op cit.). The use of condoms remains consistently low and this applies most particularly to IDUs in relationships with their primary sexual partners. The sexual transmission of HIV to the primary partners of the majority of IDUs is, therefore, still a major concern.
