HIV Risk Behaviors Associated with the Injection Process: Multiperson Use of Drug Injection Equipment and Paraphernalia in Injection Drug User Networks

This study examines drug acquisition and multiperson use of paraphernalia, drugs, and needles/syringes. Ethnographers observed 54 injection episodes in which IDUs were linked by HIV risk behaviors, and developed a typology of higher-risk, lower-risk, and nonsharing-risk networks. Multiperson use of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Substance use & misuse 1998-01, Vol.33 (12), p.2403-2423
Main Authors: Needle, Richard H., Coyle, Susan, Cesari, Helen, Trotter, Robert, Clatts, Michael, Koester, Stephen, Price, Laurie, McLellan, Eleanor, Finlinson, Ann, Bluthenthal, Ricky N., Pierce, Todd, Johnson, Jay, Jones, T. Stephen, Williams, Mark
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropology, Cultural
Biological and medical sciences
drug abuse
Drug sharing
Ethnography
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
HIV Infections - etiology
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus
Human immunodeficiency virus 1
Human viral diseases
Humans
Infectious diseases
Injection drug users
Injections networks
Interpersonal Relations
Intravenous drug addicts
Male
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Needle Sharing - psychology
Needle Sharing - statistics & numerical data
needles
Observation
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Risk behaviour
Risk-Taking
Substance Abuse, Intravenous - complications
Substance Abuse, Intravenous - psychology
United States
Urban Population
USA
Viral diseases
Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study examines drug acquisition and multiperson use of paraphernalia, drugs, and needles/syringes. Ethnographers observed 54 injection episodes in which IDUs were linked by HIV risk behaviors, and developed a typology of higher-risk, lower-risk, and nonsharing-risk networks. Multiperson use of injection paraphernalia or drug solution occurred in most injection events (94%). Serial use of syringes/needles occurred infrequently (14%) relative to "backloading" (37%) and reuse of paraphernalia (cookers 84%, cotton 77%, water 77%). Higher-risk injection networks were characterized by larger size and pooling of resources for drugs. Prevention messages must include avoiding reuse of injection paraphernalia and transfer of drug solution.
ISSN:1082-6084
1532-2491
DOI:10.3109/10826089809059332