NCJ Number
142073
Journal
Medical Anthropology Quarterly Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1990) Pages: 56-71
Date Published
1990
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Needle-using behaviors were surveyed in a sample of 230 intravenous drug users in Miami and Dade County (Fla.).
Abstract
The participants were all noninstitutionalized and were recruited from the street. Results revealed a statistically significant relationship between the frequency of injections and positive HIV-antibody test results and that 104 of the participants were antibody-positive at the time the study began. Self-reported needle-sharing behavior and the use of safe houses (shooting galleries) were also related to infection. Observational data that were gathered using ethnographic techniques identified standard cleaning practices, drug sharing between syringes, and accidental punctures as additional risks of HIV infection for intravenous drug users. Data from detailed interviews regarding values associated with needle use also indicated that interventions focusing on needle cleaning can be effective in this population. 30 references