Factors associated with initiation of zidovudine in a cohort of injection drug users

To estimate the prevalence of zidovudine (ZVD) use among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive injection drug users (IDU), and to identify predisposing factors that predicted initiation of ZVD use. Participants from an ongoing prospective cohort study who met Public Health Service (PHS) criteria for zidovudine, with a CD4 cell count of less than ≤200/μL prior to December 1990 or a CD4 count of ≤500μL, after December, 1990 and had at least one clinic visit after determination of these cell counts were included. Eligibility criteria was met for 412 individuals for ZVD use; 173 (42% used ZVD at any period. Variables significantly associated with ZVD use included CD4 cell counts less than ≤200μL (OR=3.30); two or more HIV related symptoms (OR=2.07); a child living in the participants home (OR=1.59), and, in the six months prior to eligibility for ZVD, any outpatient visit (OR=2.28) or any inpatient admission (OR=1.85). This study suggests that utilization of ZVD among IDUs remains low.