Serious bacterial infections are among the most common medical complications of injection opioid use. Hospitalization for these infections is common and represents opportunities for intervention. Other infections typical of drug use include HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV), which further affect mortality and costs associated with injection opioid use. Further complicating the picture, sexually transmitted infections (i.e., syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) are prevalent among people who inject drugs (PWID) given the association with high-risk sexual practices.

The Reducing Infections Related to Drug Use Cost Effectiveness (ReDUCE) Model is a microsimulation model that simulates the natural history of injection drug use in the U.S. for the purpose of forecasting injection-related bacterial infections, HIV, and Hepatitis C (HCV). The model also incorporates sexual behaviors for the purpose of forecasting STIs in this population and to account for additional risk factors for HIV and HCV. The model uses injection frequency, injection practices, and sexual behaviors as the basis to estimate outcomes of interest including incidence of infections and deaths. This simulation modeling framework can help demonstrate how interventions might yield long-term benefits and to measure the potential magnitude of those benefits for people who inject drugs.

Documentation

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