title: Factors associated with heroin users' AIDS risk-taking behaviours.
abstract: A survey was undertaken in Sydney in 1989 to identify factors associated with behaviour involving risk for human immunodeficiency virus infection. Self-report data on needle-sharing and sexual practices were collected from 91 heroin users entering a residential, drug-free detoxification unit. Data were analysed using polytomous and ordinal logistic regressions. Heroin-dependent subjects who also had a current alcohol problem were significantly more likely than others to report high risk needle-sharing behaviour. Subjects with more than one sexual partner in the last three months were significantly more likely to use condoms while those with a current benzodiazepine problem were significantly less likely to use condoms. Qualitative data suggest that high risk needle-sharing behaviour most often occurred around the time of relapse to injecting drug use and among homeless drug users occupying derelict buildings in inner-city suburbs.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Caplehorn
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Saunders
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000635:transmission*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing; D009517:New South Wales; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D001569:Benzodiazepines; D003932:Heroin