title: Opioid Use Trajectories, Injection Drug Use, and Hepatitis C Virus Risk Among Young Adult Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union Living in New York City.
abstract: Available evidence suggests that young former Soviet Union immigrants in New York City have high rates of non-medical prescription opioid and heroin use, drug injection and injection-related risk behavior, making them vulnerable to hepatitis C virus (HCV)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, overdose and associated harms. This group has been the focus of little research, however. This paper presents quantitative and qualitative data from 80 former Soviet immigrants (ages 18-29) to characterize their opioid use trajectories, injection risk behavior, HCV/HIV testing histories and self-reported HCV/HIV serostatus, and provides clinically meaningful data to inform tailored education, prevention and harm reduction interventions.
authors.affiliation: a National Development and Research Institutes Inc., New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Honoria
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guarino
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Marsch
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deren
authors.forename: Shulamith L A
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Straussner
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057566:Self Report; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014586:USSR / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Former Soviet Union immigrants; HCV risk; drug use trajectories; injection risk behavior; prescription opioid misuse; transition to heroin; transition to injection; young injectors