Circumstances, pedagogy and rationales for injection initiation among new drug injectors.
Injection drug use is especially risky for new injectors. To understand the social and environmental contexts in which risks occur, we interviewed individuals who had initiated injection within the past 3 years (n = 146, 69.2% male) about the circumstances and rationales for their initial injection events. Respondents typically initiated injection due to tolerance (49.3%) and/or for experimentation (61.1%). Most (86.2%) did not possess the technical skills required to self-inject, and relied on the assistance of someone older (58.5%). While low levels of syringe sharing (5.8%) were reported, a majority of respondents (60.5%) engaged in at least one type of behavioral risk. Female injectors were more likely than male injectors to rely on another individual (95.5 vs. 82.2%), often a sex partner (40.5 vs. 7.2%), for assistance. The diversity seen in early injection practices highlights the need for tailored prevention messages to reach this population prior to the onset of injection risk.
Goldsamt
Lloyd A
LA
Institute for International Research on Youth at Risk, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc, 71 West 23rd Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010, USA. lloyd.goldsamt@ndri.org
Harocopos
Alex
A
Kobrak
Paul
P
Jost
John J
JJ
Clatts
Michael C
MC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009519:New York City; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult