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 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.
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, Maryland 20857, USA. rh28e@nih.gov
R H
RH
Needle
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S
Coyle
H
H
Cesari
R
R
Trotter
M
M
Clatts
S
S
Koester
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L
Price
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E
McLellan
A
A
Finlinson
R N
RN
Bluthenthal
T
T
Pierce
J
J
Johnson
T S
TS
Jones
M
M
Williams
D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019370:Observation; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population