Changes in the sharing of drug injection equipment among street-recruited injection drug users in Chicago, Illinois, 1994--1996.
This study examines changes in the multi-person use of drug injection paraphernalia during the mid-1990s, a time of increasing awareness of HIV transmission modes and availability of prevention programs. Beginning in 1994, 794 street-recruited injection drug users in Chicago were interviewed and followed at 6 and 12 months postbaseline. Random-effects, pattern-mixture logistic regression models were used to determine correlates of five injection-equipment sharing practices, while accounting for repeated measurement and study attrition. At baseline, 45.7% of participants reported receptive syringe sharing in the previous 6 months. Syringe-mediated sharing was reported by 28.7% of participants and the sharing of cookers (65.1%), cotton filters (55.7%), and rinse water (46.9%) was common. During follow-up, the proportion of all sharing behaviors decreased significantly, especially receptive syringe sharing. Participation in a syringe exchange program was associated with reductions in receptive syringe sharing and syringe-mediated sharing, but not the sharing of cookers.
Huo
Dezheng
D
Community Outreach Intervention Projects, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. dhuo@health.bsd.uchicago.edu
Bailey
Susan L
SL
Garfein
Richard S
RS
Ouellet
Lawrence J
LJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002641:Chicago; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000639:trends*; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs / Q000639:trends; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013594:Syringes; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*