title: Needle and syringe sharing among Iranian drug injectors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The role of needle and syringe sharing behavior of injection drug users (IDUs) in spreading of blood-borne infections - specially HIV/AIDS - is well known. However, very little is known in this regard from Iran. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence and associates of needle and syringe sharing among Iranian IDUs.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a secondary analysis of a sample of drug dependents who were sampled from medical centers, prisons and streets of the capitals of 29 provinces in the Iran in 2007, 2091 male IDUs entered. Socio-demographic data, drug use data and high risk behaviors entered to a logistic regression to determine independent predictors of lifetime needle and syringe sharing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  749(35.8%) reported lifetime experience of needle and syringe sharing. The likelihood of lifetime needle and syringe sharing was increased by female gender, being jobless, having illegal income, drug use by family members, pleasure/enjoyment as causes of first injection, first injection in roofless and roofed public places, usual injection at groin, usual injection at scrotum, lifetime experience of nonfatal overdose, and history of arrest in past year and was decreased by being alone at most injections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  However this data has been extracted from cross-sectional design and we can not conclude causation, some of the introduced variables with association with needle and syringe sharing may be used in HIV prevention programs which target reducing syringe sharing among IDUs.
authors: Iranian Research Center for Substance Abuse and Dependence (IRCSAD), University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science, Tehran, Iran. rafieyah@yahoo.com
authors: Hassan
authors: H
authors: Rafiey
authors: Hooman
authors: H
authors: Narenjiha
authors: Peymaneh
authors: P
authors: Shirinbayan
authors: Roya
authors: R
authors: Noori
authors: Morteza
authors: M
authors: Javadipour
authors: Mohsen
authors: M
authors: Roshanpajouh
authors: Mercedeh
authors: M
authors: Samiei
authors: Shervin
authors: S
authors: Assari