The purpose of this poster presentation is to depict preliminary results from small-scale RCT IMEDI study and show the drug use patterns among women who use illicit substance and the rate of HIV infection.

1. Table # 1 Respondent’s Education
Table #6 Urine screening results for AmphetaminesFigure 1. Participant Flow Chart
Table #2. Respondent’s Age Table #3 HIV/HCV prevalence
Table #4. Respondents' marital Status
Results of urine screening revealed that illicit substance use declined over time
irrespective of condition (p<.001), please see table #5 and 6.
Table #5 Urine screening results for Morphine
It is of great public health importance in Georgia to avoid the HIV and
HCV rates that are seen in Georgia’s largest neighbor, Russia, where
30% of PWUD are HIV-positive (6), and up to 95% of PWUD are HCV-
positive (7).
Women comprise only 2% of the patient population in substance use
treatment in Georgia, and research-examining patterns of substance
use in Georgian women is lacking.
1. Wechsberg WM, Krupitsky E, Romanova T, Zvartau E, Luseno W, Browne F, Middlesteadt Ellerson R, Zule W. Double jeopardy for drug
using women in Russia: Injecting and sexual risk reported in a small trial. In: College on Problems of Drug Dependence Annual Meeting, June
20-25, 2009; Reno, NV.
2. Greig A, Peacock D, Jewkes R, Msimang S. Gender and AIDS: Time to act. AIDS 2008;22:S35-S43.
3. Georgian Research Institute of Addiction, New Way. Evaluation of drug treatment in Georgia. Tbilisi, Georgia: Georgian Research Institute of
Addiction; 2008.
4. Stvilia K, Tsertsvadze T, Sharvadze L, Aladashvili M, del Rio C, Kuniholm MH, Nelson KE. Prevalence of hepatitis C, HIV, and risk behaviors
for blood-borne infections: A population-based survey of the adult population of T’bilisi, Republic of Georgia. Journal of Urban Health 2006;83
(2):289–298.
5. Bidzinashvili K, Kirtadze I. Report on the female IDU project. Tbilisi, Georgia: Step to Future; 2009.
6. Kruse GR, Barbour R, Heimer R, Shaboltas AV, Toussova OV, Hoffman IF, Kozlov AP. Drug choice, spatial distribution, HIV risk, and HIV
prevalence among injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia. Harm Reduction Journal 2009;6:22.
7. Paintsil E, Verevochkin SV, Dukhovlinova E, Niccolai L, Barbour R, White E, Toussova OV, Alexander L, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. Hepatitis C
virus infection among drug injectors in St Petersburg, Russia: Social and molecular epidemiology of an endemic infection. Addiction 2009.
Drug use patterns among participants in a woman-focused RCT in Georgia
I. Kirtadze1,, D. O0ashvili1, K. O’Grady2, W. Zule3, E. Krupitsky4, W. Wechsberg3 H. Jones5,6
1
–
Addic(on
Research
Center,
Alterna(ve
Georgia,
Tbilisi
0177
Georgia
(Republic
of);
2
-­‐Department
of
Psychology,
University
of
Maryland,
College
Park,
MD
20742,
USA;
3
-­‐
RTI
Interna(onal,
Research
Triangle
Park,
NC
27709,
USA;
4
-­‐Department
of
Addic(ons,
Bekhterev
Research
Psychoneurological
Ins(tute,
St.
Petersburg
192019,
Russia;
5–
UNC
Horizons
Program,
Department
of
Obstetrics
and
Gynecology,
School
of
Medicine,
University
of
North
Carolina
at
Chapel
Hill,
Chapel
Hill,
NC
27514,
USA;
6
–
Departments
of
Psychiatry
and
Obstetrics
and
Gynecology,
School
of
Medicine,
Johns
Hopkins
University,
Bal(more,
MD
21224,
USA
This research was supported by NIDA grant R01 DA029880 (Hendrée E. Jones, PI).
The authors would like to thank project IMEDI research staff who participated in data
collection and study participants for their valuable time and effort. NIDA played no role
in the: 1) study design; 2) collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; 3) writing of
the report; or 4) decision to submit or where to submit the paper for publication.
Authors declare no conflict of interest related to this study.
References
Background Results (continued) Results (continued)
Eligibility criteria: Injection of illicit drugs in the past 30 days verified by
venipuncture stigmata and sexually active at least once in the past 30
days.
Intervention condition received a structured 12-session intervention
focusing on HIV/HCV prevention, mental and physical health, drug and
alcohol use cessation.
Usual care condition received information and case management for 12
sessions.
Urine drug screening was conducted at every session, baseline and 1-
and 3-month follow up assessments.
Methods
Preliminary findings suggest treatment resulted in a marked reduction in use of illicit
substances in both conditions. There were no significant differences in outcomes
between the conditions. Interventions that are women-centered, accessible,
confidential, receptive, and provide a non-judgmental and caring environment are
beneficial for women with substance-use-related problems.
Conclusions
The purpose of this poster presentation is to depict preliminary results
from small-scale RCT IMEDI study and show the drug use patterns
among women who use illicit substance and the rate of HIV infection.
Purpose
Screened
for
eligibility
(n=172)
Included
(n=128)
met
study
inclusion
criteria's
Interven(on
group
(n=64)
Usual
Care
group
(n=64)
Excluded
(n=44)
did
not
met
study
criteria’s
-­‐
21
were
not
regular
injectors
-­‐
4
did
not
have
sex
during
past
3
months
-­‐
11
were
not
regular
injectors
and
did
not
have
regular
sexual
contacts
during
past
3
months
-­‐
4
were
non-­‐injec(on
drug
users
-­‐
4
faked
urine
samples
Results
Contact Information:
Irma Kirtadze, M.D., Ph.D.(c)
Senior Researcher
Acknowledgment
Addiction Research Center, Alternative Georgia
14a Nutsubidze Str., Office 2, 0177 Tbilisi, Georgia
Email: irma@altgeorgia.ge