Heroin Use and Injection Risk Behaviors in Colombia: Implications for HIV/AIDS Prevention

Autor: Harris S, Friedman, Honoria Guarino, Montoya Vélez Lp, Lauren Jessell, Pedro Mateu-Gelabert, Berbesi D, Mejía Motta Ie, Segura Cardona Ám
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Adult
Male
Health Knowledge
Attitudes
Practice
Health (social science)
Adolescent
Cross-sectional study
Psychological intervention
Medicine (miscellaneous)
HIV Infections
Colombia
Article
Heroin
Drug user
Young Adult
03 medical and health sciences
Risk-Taking
0302 clinical medicine
Harm Reduction
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Surveys and Questionnaires
Environmental health
mental disorders
Prevalence
medicine
Humans
Needle Sharing
030212 general & internal medicine
Substance Abuse
Intravenous
Drug injection
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Harm reduction
030505 public health
Heroin Dependence
business.industry
Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Health
medicine.disease
Psychiatry and Mental health
Cross-Sectional Studies
Structured interview
Female
0305 other medical science
business
medicine.drug
Zdroj: Substance Use & Misuse. 51:230-240
ISSN: 1532-2491
1082-6084
DOI: 10.3109/10826084.2015.1092989
Popis: Heroin production in Colombia has increased dramatically in recent decades, and some studies point to an increase in local heroin use since the mid-1990s. Despite this rapid increase, little is known about the effects of these activities on heroin injection within Colombia. One of the biggest concerns surrounding heroin injection is the potential spread of HIV through drug user networks.This article examines injection risk behaviors among heroin injectors in the Colombian cities of Medellín and Pereira to explore the implications for possible increased HIV transmission within this group.A cross-sectional study used respondent-driving sampling to recruit a sample of 540 people who inject drugs (PWID) over 18 years of age (Medellín: n = 242, Pereira: n = 298). Structured interviews with each participant were conducted using the World Health Organization Drug Injection Study Phase II Survey. An HIV test was also administered.Information regarding the socio-demographics, injection drug use, HIV risk and transmission behaviors, injection risk management, and HIV knowledge and prevalence of participants are reported. The study identified many young, newly initiated injectors who engage in risky injection practices. The study also found that HIV prevalence is fairly low among participants (2.7%).Findings indicate a potential risk for the spread of HIV among PWID in Colombia given their widespread sharing practices, high rate of new injector initiation, and unsafe syringe cleaning practices. Colombia has a possibly time-limited opportunity to prevent an HIV epidemic by implementing harm reduction interventions among young, newly initiated PWID.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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