Risk of sharing injection equipment.

Age and sharing of needle injection equipment in a cohort of Massachusetts injection drug users: an observational study

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C infection (HCV) among individuals aged 15-24 years has increased in Massachusetts, likely due to injection drug use. The prevalence of injection equipment sharing (sharing) and its association with age was examined in a cohort of out-of-treatment Massachusetts substance users. METHODS This analysis included baseline data from a behavioral intervention with substance use...

Correlates of sharing injection equipment among male injecting drug users in Kathmandu, Nepal.

BACKGROUND HIV prevalence is high and risky injection practices occur frequently among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Nepal. We explored the correlates of sharing injection equipment (having injected with a needle or syringe previously used by another) among male IDUs in Kathmandu, Nepal. METHODS From August to September 2007, we anonymously interviewed 296 male IDUs in Kathmandu, Nepal, usin...

Sharing of drug preparation equipment as a risk factor for hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVES This study investigated the sharing of drug preparation equipment as a possible route of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission. METHODS HCV seroconversion was measured in a cohort of 317 injection drug users who tested negative for HCV antibody at recruitment. RESULTS Cumulative HCV incidence was 16.7% per year. Among those who did not share syringes, HCV seroconversion was associ...

Giving away used injection equipment: missed prevention message?

BACKGROUND Our objective was to examine factors associated with distributive injection equipment sharing and how needle exchange programs (NEPs) can help reduce distributive sharing among injection drug users (IDUs). METHODS 145 English speaking Canadian IDUs ages 16 years and over who had injected in the past 30 days were recruited for a cross-sectional survey. Participants were asked about ...

Liability for prescribing intravenous injection equipment to i.v. drug users.