Social and Environmental Context of Cross-Border Drug Use in Mexico: Findings from a Mixed Methods Study of Young Injection Drug Users Living in San Diego, CA

• NCJ Number: 242745
• Journal: Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: October - December 2012 Pages: 362-378
• Author(s): Karla D. Wagner; Matthew J. Moynihan; Steffanie A. Strathdee; Jazmine Cuevas-Mota; Maureen Clark; María Luisa Zúñiga; Tyson A. Volkmann; Eyasu Teshale; Richard S. Garfein
• Date Published: December 2012
• Length: 17 pages
• Grant Number(s): K10DA031031; R21DA024381; R37DA019829; T32DA023356
• Contract Number(s): 200-2007-21016
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse; Ctr's for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study reported the results of qualitative (n = 19) and quantitative (n = 545) interviews with young injection drug users (IDUs) in San Diego, California about their experiences using drugs in Tijuana, Mexico, and associated risks for HIV infection.

Abstract

The authors report the results of qualitative (n = 19) and quantitative (n = 545) interviews with young injection drug users (IDUs) in San Diego, CA about their experiences using drugs in Tijuana, Mexico, and associated risks for HIV infection. Young IDUs who have ever traveled to Mexico (n = 365) used a variety of injection (54 percent) and noninjection (30 percent) drugs there and appear to be heavier users than those who have never traveled to Mexico. Sociocultural themes influencing drug use in Mexico included interactions among the purpose of travel, drug preference, and route of administration; familiarity with the border region; evolving relationships with the United States and Mexican drug markets; and the experience of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Interventions for IDUs in border regions need to be sensitive to the ethnicity, familiarity with the border region, and life history of participants, as well as differences in national policies that could influence drug use and risk for HIV on both sides of the border. Abstract published by arrangement with Taylor and Francis.