DETECTION OF HIV-ANTIBODIES IN COLLECTED SYRINGES/NEEDLES (S/N) FROM INTRAVENOUS DRUG USERS (IDUs) IN THE FRAMES OF S/N EXCHANGE PROGRAMME (SNEP) IN BULGARIA

After 1989, increase of IDUs is an emerging factor with regard to HIV/AIDS in Bulgaria (269 registered seropositives in the end of 1999, 9 out of them – 3,35% infected as IDUs). S/N testing for HIV-antibodies with prior informed consensus was broadly used in other countries to: 1) evaluate HIV prevalence/incidence among IDUs and the recent trends in the communities; 2) find out the factors facilitating/impeding consequent intervention programmes; 3) evaluate the effectiveness of community-based interventions – SNEP was established in Bulgaria, in 1998. Needle exchange (N/X) is an outreach mobile programme with three N/X in Sofia – two in the central part of the city, one – in an area where Roma minority lives and one – in Bourgas on the Black Sea coast. Objective of the study was to present the first conducted in Bulgaria and in Southeastern Europe HIV-testing of used S/N in the frames of SNEP, organized by Initiative for Health NGO (IFH).