Cost-Effectiveness of Active Screening for Early Identification of HIV in Injection Drug Users

 Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a behavioral disorder that can be detected via two methods, including active and passive screening.

 This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of screening strategies of HIV/AIDS among injection drug users (IDUs) referring to the voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) center and drop-in center (DIC) of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.

 This was a cross-sectional cost-effectiveness analysis to compare the cost-effectiveness of the two active and passive screening methods in 2015. The decision tree model, along with the TreeAge11 software, was used to analyze the data.

 The averages of cost and effectiveness were $989 and 987 subjects in the active screening method while they were $1,767 and 209 subjects in the passive screening method, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) to early-diagnosed and averted cases was $855/39 for the active screening method and $1528/90 for the passive screening method. According to the findings of the study, the active screening method is more cost-effective than its passive counterpart.

 According to the findings of the study, the active screening method is more cost-effective than its passive counterpart, and it is recommended to be used in these cases.