title: Needle and syringe sharing practices among injecting drug users in Tehran: a comparison of two neighborhoods, one with and one without a needle and syringe program.
abstract: This study was conducted to compare needle and syringe sharing practices among injecting drug users (IDUs) in two neighborhoods, one with and one without a needle and syringe program (NSP). In 2005, 419 street-based IDUs were interviewed at specific locations in two neighborhoods where IDUs are known to congregate. We compared self-reported needle and syringe access and use between IDUs from a neighborhood with an active NSP to IDUs from a neighborhood without such an intervention. A significantly smaller proportion of IDUs from the former neighborhood reported having used a shared needle/syringe over a 1-month period (21.0%) compared to IDUs from the latter neighborhood (39.9%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.24; 95% confidence interval, 0.13-0.45). These findings indicate that access to an NSP may reduce needle and syringe sharing practices. Therefore, these programs should be intensified in settings with concentrated HIV epidemics among IDUs in Iran.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health and Socio-Epidemiology, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan. szamani@pbh.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Saman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zamani
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vazirian
authors.forename: Bijan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nassirimanesh
authors.forename: Emran Mohammad
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Razzaghi
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ono-Kihara
authors.forename: Shahrzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mortazavi Ravari
authors.forename: Mohammad Mehdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gouya
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kihara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*; D013594:Syringes; D055815:Young Adult