title: Sharing injecting equipment and sexual behavior in ambulatory intravenous drug users: a national survey (Spain).
abstract: This article examines the relationship between sharing and sexual behavior in a nationwide sample of 1,074 intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in ambulatory treatment in Spain. Of our sample, 31.9% shared or had shared injecting equipment. Sharing was associated with sex-less frequent in males--and yielded an inverse relationship with age, years of education, and age at first intravenous drug use. Sharers, especially women, engaged more frequently in sex in exchange for money. A small proportion (6.3%) of male IVDUs had bisexual or homosexual relations. Condoms were always used by 18.4% of males and 15.9% of females. The sharing of injecting equipment was not generally associated with a particular type of penetrative sexual encounter, although condom use was less frequent among IVDUs who shared injecting equipment. The limitations of the present study are discussed.
authors.affiliation: National Plan on Drugs, Ministry of Health, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delgado-Rodríguez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lardelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barrio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation