Predictors of needle-sharing behavior among IDUs entering treatment |
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| Authors: | William J Woods Olga A Grinstead Joseph R Guydish Al Abramowitz Wayne Clark Norman Hearst |
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| Institution: | 1. Centre for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California , San Francisco, USA;2. Centre for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California , San Francisco, USA;3. Center for AIDS Prevention Studies , 74 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California, 94105;4. Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California , San Francisco, USA;5. Community Substance Abuse Services, Department of Public Health , San Francisco, USA |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Public funded treatment intake data from 3905 injection drug users were analyzed to identify correlates of reported needle sharing. Respondents included all first admissions to treatment from July 1, 1988 to June 30, 1989 in the city and county of San Francisco. More previous experience in drug treatment predicted lower rates of needle sharing (OR = 0.85, 95% C.I.= 0.79 - 0.92). Young age, cocaine use and white or Hispanic ethnicity predicted higher rates of needle sharing. The finding that drug treatment reduces the frequency of needle sharing in this population has important policy implications; these data support the role of treatment availability in reducing the spread of HIV among injection drug users. |
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| Keywords: | IDU needle-sharing HIV risk behavior drug treatment San Francisco |
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