title: Syringe exchange not associated with social network formation: results from Baltimore.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine possible formation of new social contacts at the Baltimore Syringe Exchange Program (SEP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic sub-sample of new SEP participants recruited into evaluation cohort for biannual interviews. This analysis used 6-month interview data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were interviewed for behavioral and network characteristics, and number of new social contacts formed at the SEP. Variables were cross-tabulated using chi2 statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 413 participants interviewed, 32 (8%) said they had made at least one social contact at the SEP. These 32 individuals were more likely to have engaged in commercial sex (16 versus 3%, P = 0.005) and, among active injectors, were more likely to have used syringes obtained from other drug users (22 versus 8%, P = 0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings argue against the formation of new social networks (and therefore new disease transmission networks) in the context of syringe exchange participation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Junge
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Latkin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vlahov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015142:Baltimore; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013594:Syringes