A controlled trial of methadone maintenance in a population of intravenous drug users in Bangkok: implications for prevention of HIV.

This study represents the first controlled trial of methadone maintenance and 45-day methadone detoxification in Thailand. We randomly assigned 240 male heroin addicts with at least six prior detoxification treatment episodes to 45-day detoxification or to methadone maintenance treatment conditions. We found that methadone maintenance clients were more likely to complete 45 days of treatment (p less than .00001), were less likely to have used heroin during treatment (p less than .0002), and were less likely to have used heroin on the 45th day of treatment (p less than .000007). These findings are consistent with the results of other studies in the United States, and we conclude that methadone maintenance could be a significant adjunct to AIDS prevention efforts for intravenous drug users in Thailand.