Determinants of needle sharing among intravenous drug users.
Data from 110 IV-drug abusing persons in methadone maintenance were analyzed to determine the correlates of needle sharing. Sharing was directly related to peer group behavior, attitudes conducive to sharing, economic motivation to share, not owning injection equipment, and fatalism about developing AIDS. Sharers were aware of their AIDS risk. Indicated measures to reduce needle sharing would be positive peer support groups to help resist pressures to share, legal and free access to fresh injection equipment, education on the utility of risk reduction, and increased treatment options for IV cocaine users.
Magura
S
S
Narcotic and Drug Research, Inc., New York, NY 10013.
Grossman
J I
JI
Lipton
D S
DS
Siddiqi
Q
Q
Shapiro
J
J
Marion
I
I
Amann
K R
KR
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003042:Cocaine; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D009519:New York City; D010379:Peer Group; D013242:Sterilization; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*
D003932:Heroin; D003042:Cocaine