Kral A, Bluthenthal RN, Lorvick J, Erringer EA, Edlin BR; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1998; 12: 379 (abstract no. 23189).

Urban Health Study, USCF, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence and risk factors associated with injection drug users (IDUs) who give injections to or receive injections from other drug users. BACKGROUND: Video-taped injection episodes of IDUs have shown that blood contact frequently occurs within the context of giving or receiving injections, posing risk for transmission of HIV and viral hepatitis (Flynn 1996). After review of the literature, we found no studies on the prevalence of these activities. METHODS: IDUs were street-recruited, interviewed using a standard quantitative instrument, and provided with HIV testing and counseling in the San Francisco Bay Area from August 1996 through January 1997. "Doctors" are IDUs who reported giving injections to other IDUs in the past month. "Patients" are IDUs who reported receiving injections from other people in the past month. RESULTS: Of 1,166 IDUs interviewed, 283 (24%) reported being patients and 427 (37%) reported being doctors, including 132 (11%) who reported both. Patients and doctors were significantly more likely (p < 0.001) than other IDUs to report sharing syringes (33% of patients, 21% of doctors, and 7% of others), cookers (71%, 55%, and 24%), filters (60%, 47%, and 19%) and rinse-water (45%, 35%, and 13%). In a logistic regression model which controlled for race, HIV status, homelessness, crack cocaine, and syringe exchange use, patients (Adjusted Odds Ratio = 4.29; 95% Confidence Interval = 2.76, 6.65) and doctors (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.20, 3.04) were more likely than other IDUs to report having shared syringes. CONCLUSIONS: Giving and receiving injections is common among IDUs in the SF Bay Area. IDUs who engage in these behaviors are more likely to engage in other injection-related risk behaviors. Interventions need to address these issues and provide practical solutions, including teaching IDUs how to properly inject themselves and how to avoid blood contact when giving or receiving injections. Epidemiological studies are needed to better understand the infectious disease risks associated with giving and receiving injections.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Crack Cocaine
• Epidemiologic Studies
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Humans
• Interviews as Topic
• Logistic Models
• Physicians
• Prevalence
• Risk Factors
• Risk-Taking
• San Francisco
• Substance Abuse, Intravenous
• Substance-Related Disorders
• Syringes

Other ID:

• 98395219

UI: 102228819

From Meeting Abstracts