Lifetime correlates associated with amphetamine use among northern Thai men attending STD and HIV anonymous test sites

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the demographic, sexual, and other substance use risk correlates of amphetamine use among men in northern Thailand prior to the current epidemic of amphetamine use in the Kingdom.

Design: Cross-sectional quantitative behavioral questionnaires.

Setting: Thai Ministry of Health STD and HIV Anonymous Test Sites in the upper northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Lamphun.

Participants: Adult Thai men recruited at clinics for enrollment in an HIV seroincidence cohort study (The Thai HIVNET). All men were HIV negative at enrollment, and had at least one self-reported sexual risk for HIV infection (a recent STD, use of sex workers, multiple sexual partners, low or absent condom use, sex with men).

Measurements: Participants answered a structured questionnaire.

Findings: Lifetime history of amphetamine use was reported by 133/914 men, 14.5%. Older age was protective for use (odds ratio (OR) 0.5) and use was associated with use of other substances; heroin (OR 7.1), thinner (OR 6.2), opium (OR 5.9), and marijuana (OR 5.7). Several STDs were associated with amphetamine use: gonorrhea (OR 2.3) and genital warts (OR 2.4), and any STD (OR 1.9). In multivariate analysis, use of heroin (OR 3.1), soft drugs (OR 4.9), and a history of gonorrhea (OR 2.0) were independently associated with amphetamine use in northern Thai men.

Conclusions: Associations between young age, gonorrhea, other substance use and amphetamines indicate that prevention measures could occur at STD clinics and be incorporated into school programs when individuals are entering adolescence.