The street/treatment barrier: treatment experiences of Puerto Rican injection drug users.
This study describes, through ethnographic interviews, the treatment experiences of Puerto Rican long-term heroin users who are at extremely high risk for HIV infection and the barriers they perceive to drug treatment. On the basis of this information we suggest policy recommendations for increasing drug treatment access for Puerto Rican long-term injectors of heroin. It is critical that Puerto Rican populations access drug treatment facilities given their risk factors for HIV infection and the high rate of poverty in Puerto Rican communities that exacerbates drug use.
Porter
J
J
Department of Sociology, Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania 19010, USA.
D000328:Adult; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D003932:Heroin; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015143:Philadelphia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012114:Residential Treatment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*
D009294:Narcotics; D003932:Heroin; D008691:Methadone