Vlahov D, Fuller C, Latkin C, Ompad DC, Strathdee SA; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2000 Jul 9-14; 13: abstract no. WeOrD575.
D. Vlahov, Johns Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, Rm E6136, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States, Tel.: +1 410 955 18 48, Fax: +1 410 955 13 83, E-mail: dvlahov@jhph.edu
Objective: To identify correlates of safe and unsafe syringe sources among adolescent and young adult injection drug users (IDU) who recently initiated an injecting career. Methods: IDUs aged 15-30 who had initiated injection >5 years prior were studied. Subjects underwent semi-annual risk surveys and testing for HIV and HCV antibodies. Chi square tests were used to identify correlates associated with acquisition of syringes ever obtained from: 1) friends/relatives/sex partners, 2) needle/drug dealers, and 3) NEP/pharmacy. Multiple logistic models were used to identify correlates of each needle source. Results: Of 226 IDUs, the majority were African American (64%) and female (61%). Median age and age at initiation were 25 and 23, respectively. HIV and HCV prevalence were 11% and 61%, respectively. Needles obtained from a needle/drug dealer were the most common source (70%), followed by NEP/pharmacy (35%) and friends/relatives/sex partners (21%). After adjustment, IDUs who ever used a needle/drug dealer source were more likely to be African American (OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.07-3.51), and shooting gallery attendees (OR = 2.05; 95% CI = 1.10-3.82). Those IDUs who ever accessed syringes from friends/relatives/sex partners were significantly more likely to be homosexual/bisexual (OR = 3.50; 95% CI = 1.44-8.44) and less likely to attend shooting galleries (OR = 0.44; OR = 0.20-0.89). Finally, IDUs who ever used NEP/pharmacy were significantly more likely to inject frequently (> daily) (OR = 2.52; 95% CI = 1.41-4.64). Conclusion: Although safe needle sources were available in Baltimore, most young new initiates to injection obtained needles from potentially unsafe sources. Those utilizing unsafe sources were also at high risk for HIV and HCV infection. These data emphasize the urgency for increased access to safer needle sources for young high risk IDUs.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Adolescent
- Adult
- African Americans
- Baltimore
- Female
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Hepatitis C Antibodies
- Humans
- Maryland
- Needles
- Prevalence
- Sexual Partners
- Substance Abuse, Intravenous
- Substance-Related Disorders
- Syringes
Other ID:
UI: 102240779
From Meeting Abstracts