title: Changes in injecting practices associated with the use of a medically supervised safer injection facility.
abstract: Injection drug users (IDUs) are vulnerable to serious health complications resulting from unsafe injection practices. We examined whether the use of a supervised safer injection facility (SIF) promoted change in injecting practices among a representative sample of 760 IDUs who use a SIF in Vancouver, Canada. Consistent SIF use was compared with inconsistent use on a number of self-reported changes in injecting practice variables. More consistent SIF use is associated with positive changes in injecting practices, including less reuse of syringes, use of sterile water, swabbing injection sites, cooking/filtering drugs, less rushed injections, safe syringe disposal and less public injecting.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Activities, British Columbia Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. jstoltz@cfenet.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Jo-Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Stoltz
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Will
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Small
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tyndall
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montaner
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kerr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004203:Disinfection; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D040261:Harm Reduction; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D013594:Syringes / Q000592:standards / Q000821:virology