Client satisfaction and risk behaviours of the users of syringe dispensing machines: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
The study examines risk behaviours of the users of syringe dispensing machines (SDMs) and evaluates the usefulness of these machines in providing injecting drug users (IDUs) with sterile injecting equipment.


METHODS
Self-administered questionnaires were used among users of SDMs in an Area Health Service of Sydney.


RESULTS
The majority of the 167 participants reported being happy with the quality of the SDM services. Problems identified with machines were that they were often broken or jammed (32.8% respondents), not in the right place (21.9%) or require money (16.7%). Just over half (50.9%) of the IDUs use SDMs only from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m., the time when almost all other outlets for accessing sterile injecting equipment remain closed. Relatively young IDUs (age < or = 30 years) were more likely to prefer SDMs over staffed needle syringe programmes (NSPs) compared with older users (age > 30) and to identify stigma (a desire to hide their identity or not liking the way people treat them at staffed NSPs or chemists) as a main reason for using these machines. Primary users of SDMs do not differ from primary users of NSP/chemists in terms of sharing of needles. Those users who had shared in the last month were nearly four times as likely to have never used condoms in sexual encounters over that period (95% confidence interval: 1.2 - 14.5).


CONCLUSIONS
SDMs appear to complement other outlets of NSPs. Providing free-of-cost equipment from SDMs should be considered carefully, as needing money to buy equipment was a reason given for sharing of needles by 35% of those who shared.
Islam
Mofizul
M
Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Australia.
Stern
Tim
T
Conigrave
Katherine M
KM
Wodak
Alex
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009339:Needles / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013594:Syringes / Q000600:supply & distribution*