NCJ Number
171392
Journal
Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 33 Issue: 5 Dated: special issue (1998) Pages: 1173-1196
Date Published
1998
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This study examined demographic and drug use characteristics, health status, and HIV-related risk behavior among clients attending the San Francisco needle exchange program (NEP) and assessed the relationship between NEP utilization and risk behavior.
Abstract
Randomly selected clients were interviewed when they visited the NEP. Participants were of diverse ethnicity, had a mean age of 38.2 years, and were 72 percent male. Many reported being homeless (25 percent), unemployed (34 percent), uninsured (52 percent), and having an episode of infectious disease in the past 2 years (36 percent). Clients who received a higher proportion of their needles from the exchange were less likely to report sharing needles or rinse water. Clients who attended the exchange more frequently were more likely to clean their skin prior to injecting and less likely to use the same needle repeatedly. Frequency of visiting the NEP was not associated with the likelihood of sharing needles or rinse water. Study findings demonstrate efforts to evaluate needle exchange programs in the United States will benefit from descriptive reports on other NEP programs and the use of nonexchange comparison groups. 40 references, 5 tables, and 2 photographs