Safe injecting practices among people who inject drugs
Export Indicator
Progress in preventing HIV transmission associated with injecting drug use
Safer injecting and sexual practices among people who inject drugs are essential, even in countries in which other modes of HIV transmission predominate, because the risk of HIV transmission from contaminated injecting equipment is extremely high, and people who inject drugs can spread HIV (such as through sexual transmission) to the wider population.
Note: countries with generalized epidemics may also have a concentrated subepidemic among people who inject drugs. If so, calculating and reporting on this indicator for this population would be valuable.
Number of people who inject drugs who report using sterile injecting equipment the last time they injected drugs
Number of people who inject drugs who report injecting drugs in the past month
Numerator/denominator
Every two years
- Gender (female, male and transgender)
- Age (<25 and 25+ years)
If there are subnational data available, please provide the disaggregation by administrative area, city, or site in the space provided. Submit the digital version of any available survey reports using the upload tool.
Surveying people who inject drugs can be challenging. The data obtained may therefore not be based on a representative national sample of the people who inject drugs being surveyed. If there are concerns that the data are not based on a representative sample, the interpretation of the survey data should reflect these concerns. If there are different sources of data, the best available estimate should be used. The report submitted with this indicator should include information on the sample size, the quality and reliability of the data and any related issues.
The extent of HIV transmission associated with injecting drug use within a country depends on four factors: (1) the size, stage and pattern of dissemination of the national AIDS epidemic; (2) the extent of injecting drug use; (3) the degree to which people who inject drugs use contaminated injecting equipment; and (4) the patterns of sexual mixing and condom use among people who inject drugs and between people who inject drugs and the wider population. This indicator provides information on the third factor. To maximize the utility of these data, it is recommended that the same sample used for calculating this indicator be used for calculating the other indicators related to these populations.
Tool to set and monitor targets for HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations: supplement to the 2014 consolidated guidelines for HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2015 (https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/177992/9789241508995_en...).
A framework for monitoring and evaluating HIV prevention programmes for most-at-risk populations. Geneva: UNAIDS; 2007 (http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/sub_landing/files/17_Framework...).
Practical guidelines for intensifying HIV prevention: towards universal access. Geneva: UNAIDS; 2007 (http://data.unaids.org/pub/Manual/2007/20070306_Prevention_Guidelines_To...).
Operational Guidelines for Monitoring and Evaluation of HIV Programmes for People who Inject Drugs. In: MEASURE Evaluation [Internet]. Chapel Hill (NC): MEASURE Evaluation; c2019 (https://www.measureevaluation.org/resources/tools/hiv-aids/operational-g...)