Types of Drugs Used by HIV-Infected Injection Drug Users in a Multistate Surveillance Project: Implications for Intervention

• NCJ Number: 174620
• Journal: American Journal of Public Health Volume: 84 Issue: 12 Dated: December 1994 Pages: 1971-1975
• Author(s): T Diaz; S Y Chu; R H Byers H,; B S Hersh; L Conti; C A Rietmeijer; E Mokotoff; S A Fann; D Boyd; L Iglesias; Checko. P J; M Frederick; P Hermann; M Herr; M C Samuel
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Free online PDF and HTML access to the American Journal of Public Health is provided by the publisher 24 months after individual issues are released.

Annotation

This study sought to describe the drugs used by drug injectors infected with HIV and to determine factors associated with the primary injection drug used.

Abstract

A cross-section of persons 18 years of age or older reported to be HIV-positive or have AIDS in 11 States and cities was surveyed. Of 4,162 persons interviewed, 1,147 (28 percent) reported ever having injected drugs. Of the 1,147 injectors, 72 percent primarily injected a drug other than heroin. Drug types injected, however, varied notably by place of residence. Heroin was the most commonly injected drug in Detroit (94 percent) and Connecticut (48 percent). Cocaine was the most commonly injected drug in South Carolina (64 percent), Atlanta (56 percent), Delaware (55 percent), Denver (46 percent), and Arizona (44 percent). Speedball and amphetamines were the most commonly injected drugs in Florida (46 percent) and Washington (56 percent), respectively. Other determinants of drug type primarily injected were often similar by region of residence, except for heroin use. Polysubstance abuse was common; 75 percent injected more than one drug type and 85 percent reported noninjected drug use. The authors conclude preventing the further spread of HIV will require more drug treatment programs that go beyond methadone, address polysubstance abuse, and adapt to local correlates of the primary drug used. 18 references and 5 tables