Pattern of drug abuse and prevalence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus in heroin addicts in Jerusalem, 1989.

Intravenous drug abuse is a principal factor in the spread of AIDS. In contrast to many countries in the Western world, most of the heroin addicts in Israel do not inject. This study attempts to clarify the link between the pattern of drug abuse and seroprevalence for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among volunteers attending a detoxification clinic in Jerusalem. Three hundred heroin abusers were interviewed about their drug habits and sexual preference. In addition, all participants underwent HIV serological testing. The majority of them took heroin by smoking, with only 19% injecting the drug. None of the participants in the study were HIV seropositive. An association is seen between the pattern of illicit drug use in Israel and the low incidence of AIDS in this country.