Prevalence and correlates of crack-cocaine injection among young injection drug users in the United States, 1997-1999.
OBJECTIVE
We estimated prevalence and identified correlates of crack-cocaine injection among young injection drug users in the United States.


METHODS
We analyzed data from the second Collaborative Injection Drug Users Study (CIDUS II), a 1997-1999 cohort study of 18-30-year-old, street-recruited injection drug users from six US cities.


RESULTS
Crack-cocaine injection was reported by 329 (15%) of 2198 participants. Prevalence varied considerably by site (range, 1.5-28.0%). No participants injected only crack-cocaine. At four sites where crack-cocaine injection prevalence was greater than 10%, recent (past 6 months) crack-cocaine injection was correlated with recent daily injection and sharing of syringes, equipment, and drug solution. Lifetime crack-cocaine injection was correlated with using shooting galleries, initiating others into drug injection, and having serologic evidence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Crack-cocaine injection may be a marker for high-risk behaviors that can be used to direct efforts to prevent HIV and other blood-borne viral infections.
Santibanez
Scott S
SS
Division of HIV/AIDS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. ssantibanez@cdc.gov
Garfein
Richard S
RS
Swartzendruber
Andrea
A
Kerndt
Peter R
PR
Morse
Edward
E
Ompad
Danielle
D
Strathdee
Steffanie
S
Williams
Ian T
IT
Friedman
Samuel R
SR
Ouellet
Lawrence J
LJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D047568:Unsafe Sex; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D016578:Crack Cocaine