‘South Asian cocktail’ - the concurrent use of opioids, benzodiazepines and antihistamines among injecting drug users in Nepal and associations with HIV risk behaviour

Table 4 Drug use history and risk behaviour of the interviewed drug users in Kathmandu Valley ( N = 223)

	HIV positive	HIV negative	Significance (χ², t test)
Age, years	33.1 (±6.0)	28.2 (±5.6)	t = 6.0, p < .001
Length of injecting drug use, years	14.2 (±5.7)	8.5 (±5.3)	t = 7.3, p < .001
Length of cocktail use, years	12.8 (±5.6)	7.8 (±4.5)	t = 6.9, p < .001
Length of heroin use, years	16.3 (±6.3)	10.5 (±5.0)	t = 6.9, p < .001
Cocktail use
Moderate	20.3%	31.5%	χ² = 4.5, p = .108
Intensive	70.3%	55.7%	χ² = 4.5, p = .108
Multiple use of the same needle	91.9%	63.5%	χ² = 20.1, p < .001
Needle/equipment sharing	93.2%	75.2%	χ² = 10.6, p < .01

ISSN: 1477-7517