title: Traveling young injection drug users at high risk for acquisition and transmission of viral infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Young injection drug users (IDU) are highly mobile. It is not known how mobility affects their risk of acquiring and transmitting viral infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study of young (under age 30) IDU in San Francisco (2004-2006). Participants completed a semi-structured interview and testing for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV infection. We examined whether travel was independently associated with drug, alcohol, sexual risk behaviors, and infection status, after adjusting for demographic characteristics and years injecting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two-thirds (62%) reported past (3 months) travel outside of San Francisco (n=355). Travelers, as compared to non-travelers, were more likely to be under age 20, female, and planned to leave San Francisco in the coming months. Travel was independently associated with heavy alcohol consumption, drinking alcohol until blackout, poly-substance use, more sexual and injecting partners, and receptive needle/syringe sharing, sharing drug preparation equipment, backloading syringes and pooling money to buy drugs. In an analysis of interactions with travel, younger travelers were more likely to be HCV positive than younger non-travelers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traveling young IDU are at exceptionally high risk for acquiring and transmitting viral infections, while their mobility makes it challenging to effectively deliver interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. jhahn@epi-center.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Page-Shafer
authors.forename: Jamye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paciorek
authors.forename: Paula J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012747:Sexual Partners; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014195:Travel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines