Clinical features of drug use and drug use related HIV.

A variety of important medical problems, both non-infective and infective in nature, are associated with drug use. A number of micro-organisms are associated with the non-sterile nature of injection drug use (IDU) whilst a number of blood borne viruses, including retroviruses such as HIV, are easily transmitted to individuals involved in the sharing of injection equipment. Practitioners require knowledge of infection and non-infection related medical conditions associated with IDU since they may mimic each other.