Aims: To study the sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behaviours in contraception choices of injecting drug users (IDUs) and to compare the contraceptive practices of non-HIV-positive IDUs to those of the general population.
Design: Two surveys were used: a sample of IDUs attending 10 drug abuse treatment centres in the Paris region (IDU) and the Parisian subsample of the National French Survey of Sexual Behaviour (ACSF).
Measurements: Percentages of contraception practices were estimated separately for 81 IDU and 130 ACSF women, and for 175 IDU and 168 ACSF men, aged 25-34, not reporting prostitution or HIV seropositivity.
Findings: Most IDU (77%) and ACSF (84%) women, and IDU (73%) and ACSF (75%) men currently used a contraceptive method. Male condoms were more widely used by IDUs than by the general population (64 vs. 10% in women, 75 vs. 14% in men), for all subgroups of educational level, marital status, recent multipartnership status and sexual activity.
Conclusions: Contraceptives are used as often by IDUs as by the general population aged 25-34. However, the methods employed differ, with higher condom use by IDUs, which suggest that IDUs take into account the risk of HIV contamination in their contraceptive practices.