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Farooq A, Valerio H, Wheeler A, Martinello M, Henderson C, Silk D, Degenhardt L, Read P, Dore GJ, Grebely J, Cunningham EB. Needle and syringe sharing among people who have recently injected drugs in Australia: The ETHOS Engage Study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2024. [PMID: 38630939 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Understanding needle/syringe sharing is crucial for reducing hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and reinfection. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with needle/syringe sharing among people who inject drugs in Australia, including those previously receiving HCV treatment. METHODS The ETHOS Engage study was an observational cohort study which collected self-reported survey data on demographic and drug use information from people who inject drugs attending drug treatment clinics and needle and syringe programs over two waves between May 2018 and June 2021. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with needle/syringe sharing. RESULTS Overall, 1555/2395 people enrolled in ETHOS Engage (65%) injected drugs in the past month. Among these, 432 (28%) reported needle/syringe sharing in the past month and 276 (18%) reported receptive sharing. Factors associated with receptive sharing included younger age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28-2.30), recent incarceration (aOR 2.04; 95% CI 1.40-2.94), more frequent injecting (≥daily vs. less than weekly; aOR 2.59; 95% CI 1.75-3.84) and unstable housing (aOR 1.78; 95% CI 1.26-2.52). Among 560 participants with prior HCV treatment, 87 (16%) reported receptive sharing with younger age (aOR 2.42; 95% CI 1.45-4.05) and daily or greater injection frequency (aOR 2.51; 95% CI 1.31-4.83) associated with receptive sharing. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Needle/syringe sharing was common among this population accessing harm reduction services. This study identifies high-risk populations with needle/syringe sharing. Research is needed to optimise HCV treatment to ensure people with ongoing risk behaviours receive adequate harm reduction following treatment to prevent reinfection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - David Silk
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Phillip Read
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
- Kirketon Road Centre, Sydney, Australia
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Tonin FS, Alves da Costa F, Fernandez-Llimos F. Impact of harm minimization interventions on reducing blood-borne infection transmission and some injecting behaviors among people who inject drugs: an overview and evidence gap mapping. Addict Sci Clin Pract 2024; 19:9. [PMID: 38310293 PMCID: PMC10838443 DOI: 10.1186/s13722-024-00439-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to synthetize the evidence on the effectiveness of harm minimization interventions on reducing blood-borne infection transmission and injecting behaviors among people who inject drugs (PWID) through a comprehensive overview of systematic reviews and evidence gap mapping. METHODS A systematic review was conducted with searches in PubMed and Scopus to identify systematic reviews assessing the impact of interventions aimed at reducing the harms associated with injectable drug use. The overall characteristics of the studies were extracted and their methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR-2. An evidence gap map was constructed, highlighting the most frequently reported outcomes by intervention (CRD42023387713). RESULTS Thirty-three systematic reviews were included. Of these, 14 (42.2%) assessed the impact of needle/syringe exchange programs (NSEP) and 11 (33.3%) examined opioid agonist therapy (OAT). These interventions are likely to be associated with reductions of HIV/HCV incidence (10-40% risk reduction for NSEP; 50-60% for OAT) and sharing injecting paraphernalia (50% for NSEP, 25-85% for OAT), particularly when combined (moderate evidence). Behavioral/educational interventions were assessed in 12 reviews (36.4%) with most authors in favor/partially in favor of the use of these approaches (moderate evidence). Take-home naloxone programs and supervised-injection facilities were each assessed in two studies (6.1%), which reported inconclusive results (limited/inconsistent evidence). Most authors reported high levels of heterogeneity and risk of bias. Other interventions and outcomes were inadequately reported. Most systematic reviews presented low or critically low quality. CONCLUSION The evidence is sufficient to support the effectiveness of OAT, NSEP and their combination in reducing blood-borne infection transmission and certain injecting behaviors among PWID. However, evidence of other harm minimizations interventions in different settings and for some outcomes remain insufficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda S Tonin
- H&TRC - Health & Technology Research Center, ESTeSL - Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Filipa Alves da Costa
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMED.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Fernando Fernandez-Llimos
- Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, (UCIBIO-i4HB) Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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González-Santiago AE, Gómez-Cabrera AS, Baptista-Rosas RC, Zúñiga-González GM, Gómez-Meda BC, Navarro AAS, Sánchez-Parada MG. Cytogenotoxicity effects in addicts with multidrug consumption. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2024; 65:84-95. [PMID: 38353119 DOI: 10.1002/em.22584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Drug abuse is considered a global health problem with serious social impact. In recent decades, changes in drug consumption patterns have shown a clear rising trend in the use of multiple drugs. Although the buccal micronucleus cytome (BMCyt) assay has evaluated cytotoxicity in drug abuse, there has not been an approach that takes into account this pattern of multiple drug use. Therefore, in this study, we evaluate for the first time the cytogenotoxic effects in multidrug users, and its correlation with the amount consumed and years of abuse. This study was conducted on 166 individuals by the BMCyt assay. A total of 83 individuals with a history of multiple licit (alcohol and tobacco) and at least one illicit drug abuse (marijuana, methamphetamines, cocaine, and/or inhalants), and 83 healthy individuals, non-drug abusers were analyzed. The results showed that drug abusers had higher frequencies of nuclear abnormalities nuclear buds, binucleated cells, pyknotic nuclei (PNs), karyorrhexis (KX), and abnormally condensed chromatin when compared with healthy controls. Moreover, results suggests that the use of licit and illicit drugs is related to cytogenotoxic damage, as was shown by an upward trend in the frequency of nuclear abnormalities identified in groups 1 (alcohol + tobacco + at least one illicit drug) and 2 (tobacco + at least one illicit drug). Furthermore, a positive correlation was found in the different groups, between the years and the amount of consumption of some drugs (alcohol, methamphetamine, and tobacco) with cytotoxicity markers such as KL, KX, and PNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Elizabeth González-Santiago
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, División de Ciencias de la Salud, Centro Universitario de Tonalá, Universidad de Guadalajara, Tonalá, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Salvador Gómez-Cabrera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, División de Ciencias de la Salud, Centro Universitario de Tonalá, Universidad de Guadalajara, Tonalá, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Raúl Cuauhtémoc Baptista-Rosas
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud-Enfermedad como Proceso Individual, Centro Universitario de Tonalá, Universidad de Guadalajara, Tonalá, Jalisco, Mexico
- Unidad de intervención de Medicina Crítica, Hospital General de Occidente, Secretaría de Salud Jalisco, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Guillermo Moisés Zúñiga-González
- Laboratorio de Mutagénesis, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Belinda Claudia Gómez-Meda
- Instituto de Genética Humana Dr. Enrique Corona Rivera, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Ana Alondra Sobrevilla Navarro
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, División de Ciencias de la Salud, Centro Universitario de Tonalá, Universidad de Guadalajara, Tonalá, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - María Guadalupe Sánchez-Parada
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, División de Ciencias de la Salud, Centro Universitario de Tonalá, Universidad de Guadalajara, Tonalá, Jalisco, Mexico
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Attwood LO, O'Keefe D, Higgs P, Vujovic O, Doyle JS, Stewardson AJ. Epidemiology of acute infections in people who inject drugs in Australia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2024; 43:304-314. [PMID: 37995135 PMCID: PMC10952783 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
ISSUES People who inject drugs are at risk of acute infections, such as skin and soft tissue infections, infective endocarditis, bone and joint infections and bloodstream infections. There has been an increase in these infections in people who inject drugs internationally over the past 10 years. However, the local data regarding acute infections in Australia has not been well described. APPROACH We review the epidemiology of acute infections and associated morbidity and mortality amongst people who inject drugs in Australia. We summarise risk factors for these infections, including the concurrent social and psychological determinants of health. KEY FINDINGS The proportion of people who report having injected drugs in the prior 12 months in Australia has decreased over the past 18 years. However, there has been an increase in the burden of acute infections in this population. This increase is driven largely by skin and soft tissue infections. People who inject drugs often have multiple conflicting priorities that can delay engagement in care. IMPLICATIONS Acute infections in people who inject drugs are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Acute infections contribute to significant bed days, surgical requirements and health-care costs in Australia. The increase in these infections is likely due to a complex interplay of microbiological, individual, social and environmental factors. CONCLUSION Acute infections in people who inject drugs in Australia represent a significant burden to both patients and health-care systems. Flexible health-care models, such as low-threshold wound clinics, would help directly target, and address early interventions, for these infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy O. Attwood
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | | | - Peter Higgs
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneAustralia
- Department of Public HealthLa Trobe UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Olga Vujovic
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Joseph S. Doyle
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneAustralia
| | - Andrew J. Stewardson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
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Wiginton JM, Booth R, Smith LR, Shakya S, da Silva CE, Patterson TL, Pitpitan EV. Effects of a social network intervention on HIV seroconversion among people who inject drugs in Ukraine: moderation by network gender composition. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:165. [PMID: 37940947 PMCID: PMC10631017 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00899-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women who inject drugs in Ukraine are disproportionately burdened by HIV. To help address the needs of this population, a greater understanding of how interventions may uniquely benefit women who inject drugs is needed. METHODS Data come from a randomized controlled trial of a social network intervention targeting people who inject drugs in Ukraine (N = 1195). Indexes, plus two of their injection network members, received HIV testing and counseling (control arm) or HIV testing and counseling plus a social network intervention (intervention arm), in which indexes were trained to influence network members' risk behaviors. We used Cox regressions with interaction terms to assess differences in time to HIV seroconversion between arms by network gender composition and gender of the index. For significant interaction terms, we calculated simple effects, generated survival functions using Kaplan-Meier methods, and compared survival curves using log-rank tests. RESULTS At 12 months, there were 45 seroconversions among women (40.0 [28.3, 51.7] per 100 person years) and 111 among men (28.4 [23.1, 33.6] per 100 person years) in the control arm; there were 27 seroconversions among women (17.1 [10.7, 23.6] per 100 person years) and 77 among men (18.7 [14.5, 22.9] per 100 person years) in the intervention arm. Network gender composition (but not gender of the index) moderated the intervention effect on HIV incidence (p < 0.05). Specifically, the intervention appeared to be even more protective against HIV acquisition as female gender composition increased. In the intervention arm, the HIV seroconversion hazard rate was 44% lower with 1 network female; 61% lower with 2 network females; and 72% lower with 3 network females. CONCLUSIONS A greater number of women in an injection network, coupled with the provision of risk-reduction strategies, is associated with HIV risk-mitigation, though the mechanisms through which this occurs remain unclear. Findings can support new research and practice directions that prioritize women who inject drugs and more thoughtfully support their health and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Mark Wiginton
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
- School of Social Work, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - Robert Booth
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, USA
| | - Laramie R Smith
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Sajina Shakya
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Cristina Espinosa da Silva
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
| | - Thomas L Patterson
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Eileen V Pitpitan
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA.
- School of Social Work, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.
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Wiginton JM, Booth R, Eaton LA, Smith LR, da Silva CE, Patterson TL, Pitpitan EV. Injection Drug Use and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among People who Inject Drugs in Ukraine: A Random-Intercept Latent Transition Analysis. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:3012-3026. [PMID: 36929321 PMCID: PMC10019801 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04024-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
HIV transmission in Ukraine is driven in part by unsafe injection drug use and sexual risk behaviors among people who inject drugs. We performed a random-intercept latent transition analysis on responses to 9 binary injection drug use and sexual behavior items from 1195 people who inject drugs with negative HIV status enrolled in a clustered randomized clinical trial of a social network intervention in Odessa, Donetsk, and Nikolayev, Ukraine. We identified 5 baseline classes: "Social injection/equipment-sharing" (11.7%), "Social injection" (25.9%), "High-risk collective preparation/splitting" (17.0%), "Collective preparation/splitting" (11.3%), and "Dealer-facilitated injection" (34.1%). After 12 months, intervention participants were more likely to transition to the "Collective preparation/splitting" class, which featured the fewest risk behaviors. Transitioning from the "Collective preparation/splitting" to the "Social injection/equipment-sharing" class was associated with HIV acquisition for control participants. Research to illuminate the stability of these patterns and how they may benefit from uniquely tailored programming to reduce unsafe behaviors is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Mark Wiginton
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
- School of Social Work, College of Health and Human Services, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Robert Booth
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13001 E 17th Place, Fitzsimons Building, 2nd Floor, Suite C2000, Aurora, CO 80045 USA
| | - Lisa A. Eaton
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, Family Studies Building, Storrs, CT 06279 USA
| | - Laramie R. Smith
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
| | - Cristina Espinosa da Silva
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Thomas L. Patterson
- Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
| | - Eileen V. Pitpitan
- School of Social Work, College of Health and Human Services, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182 USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
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Tsui JI, Lum PJ, Taylor LE, Mehta SH, Feinberg J, Kim AY, Norton BL, Niu J, Heo M, Arnsten J, Pericot-Valverde I, Thomas A, Blalock KL, Radick A, Murray-Krezan C, Page K, Litwin AH. Injecting practices during and after hepatitis C treatment and associations with not achieving cure among persons who inject drugs. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 247:109878. [PMID: 37150144 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persons who inject drugs (PWID) are a key population for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. Study aims were to describe injection practices of PWID during HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and assess whether injection practices were associated with not achieving a sustained virologic response (SVR). METHODS Secondary analysis of the HERO Study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02824640), a pragmatic randomized trial in 8 U.S. states to evaluate the effectiveness of HCV care models among active PWID seen in opioid treatment programs and community clinics. Frequency, sharing and reuse of injecting equipment were assessed at baseline, end-of-treatment (EOT) and quarterly visits up to 60 weeks post-treatment. Generalized Estimating Equations logistic regression models with linear spline were used to compare trends in injecting behaviors during vs. post-treatment. Multivariable logistic regression models explored associations between injecting behaviors during treatment and lack of SVR. RESULTS Among 501 participants, 27% were female, 35% were non-white, mean age was 44 (SD 11.5) years and nearly half (49%) were unhoused. At baseline, 41% reported receptive sharing of injecting equipment, declining to 16% at EOT visit. Receptive sharing of cookers, rinses, or needles/syringes during treatment was associated with a nearly 5-fold increase in not achieving SVR (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=4.83; 95% CI: 2.26, 10.28) as was reuse of one's own needles/syringes (aOR=2.37; 95% CI: 1.11, 4.92). CONCLUSIONS PWID in the HERO study adopted safer injecting behaviors during DAA treatment; receptive sharing of injecting equipment and reuse of one's own equipment during treatment were associated with not achieving cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith I Tsui
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9th Ave, Seattle, WA98104, USA.
| | - Paula J Lum
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA94110, USA
| | - Lynn E Taylor
- College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, 80 Washington Street, Providence, RI02903, USA; HIV and Viral Hepatitis Services, CODAC Behavioral Health, Providence, RI02909, USA
| | - Shruti H Mehta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615N. Wolfe Street, Room E6546, Baltimore, MD21205, USA
| | - Judith Feinberg
- Department of Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry and Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, West Virginia University School of Medicine, 930 Chestnut Ridge Road, Morgantown, WV26505, USA
| | - Arthur Y Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA02114, USA
| | - Brianna L Norton
- Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3330 Kossuth Avenue Bronx, NY10467, USA
| | - Jiajing Niu
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, 605 Grove Road, Clemson, SC29605, USA
| | - Moonseong Heo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, 605 Grove Road, Clemson, SC29605, USA
| | - Julia Arnsten
- Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3330 Kossuth Avenue Bronx, NY10467, USA
| | - Irene Pericot-Valverde
- Department of Psychology, Clemson University, 418 Bracket Hall, Clemson, SC29634, USA; Clemson University School of Health Research605 Grove RoadGreenvilleSC29605, USA
| | - Aurielle Thomas
- College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, 80 Washington Street, Providence, RI02903, USA
| | - Kendra L Blalock
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9th Ave, Seattle, WA98104, USA
| | - Andrea Radick
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9th Ave, Seattle, WA98104, USA
| | - Cristina Murray-Krezan
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 200 Meyran Ave., Pittsburgh, PA15213, USA
| | - Kimberly Page
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Alain H Litwin
- Clemson University School of Health Research605 Grove RoadGreenvilleSC29605, USA; Department of Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, 876 W Faris Rd, Greenville, SC29605, USA; Department of Medicine, Prisma Health, 876 W Faris Rd, Greenville, SC29605, USA
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Lee E, Piñeros J, Williams LD, Mackesy-Amiti ME, Molina Y, Boodram B. Network ethnic homophily and injection equipment sharing among Latinx and White non-Latinx people who inject drugs. J Ethn Subst Abuse 2023:1-20. [PMID: 36853193 PMCID: PMC10460831 DOI: 10.1080/15332640.2023.2181259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Latinx people who inject drugs (PWID) are less likely to engage in injection equipment sharing, but are more vulnerable to injection drug use (IDU)-related morbidity and mortality than Whites. Identifying subgroups of Latinx PWID who do engage in equipment sharing and likely bear the brunt of this health burden is a priority. Ethnic disparities may reflect contextual drivers, including injection networks. Latinx PWID with low ethnic homophily (the proportion of individuals with the same ethnic background) may be more likely to share equipment due to forced distancing from health-protective ethnocultural resources and power imbalances within injection networks. The current study offers a framework and examines how associations between network ethnic homophily and injection equipment sharing differ among 74 Latinx and 170 non-Latinx White PWID in the Chicagoland area (N = 244). Latinx had less homophilous than non-Latinx Whites (p <.001). Ethnic homophily was protective for equipment sharing among Latinx (OR = 0.17, 95%CI [0.77, 0.04], p = .02), but not non-Latinx Whites (OR = 1.66, 95%CI [0.40, 6.93], p = .49). Our findings implicate the need for targeted cultured interventions that focus on Latinx PWID who are more vulnerable to morbidity and mortality, potentially due to less access to ethnic peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunhye Lee
- Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Juliet Piñeros
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago
| | - Leslie D. Williams
- Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Mary-Ellen Mackesy-Amiti
- Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Yamilé Molina
- Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Basmattee Boodram
- Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, United States
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Interventions to prevent HIV and Hepatitis C among people who inject drugs: Latest evidence of effectiveness from a systematic review (2011 to 2020). THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 109:103872. [PMID: 36202039 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV remain prevalent among people who inject drugs (PWID) and transmission is usually associated with injecting risk behaviour (IRB). We update a 2011 review of reviews (RoR) to assess the latest evidence on the effectiveness of harm reduction interventions - drug treatment (including opioid agonist therapy [OAT]), needle and syringe programmes (NSP) and other interventions - in the prevention of HCV and HIV transmission, and related measures of infection risk (IRB and injecting frequency [IF]), among PWID. METHODS We undertook an initial search for systematic reviews (i.e. an Overview of Reviews [OoR]) and subsequent systematic searches for primary studies where required. Where there was sufficient evidence based on synthesis of multiple robust studies for an intervention effect in the 2011 RoR, new evidence was not sought. Medline, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Web of Science were searched (2011-2020). Two reviewers screened papers, extracted data, and graded reviews/studies. We classified evidence as 'sufficient', 'tentative', 'insufficient', or 'no evidence'. RESULTS We screened 8513 reviews and 7133 studies, with 27 and 61 identified as relevant, respectively. The level of evidence increased since the 2011 RoR and is now 'sufficient' for OAT (regarding all outcomes), NSP (for reducing HIV transmission and IRB), and combination OAT/NSP (for reducing HCV transmission). There is also now sufficient evidence for in-prison OAT, psychosocial interventions, pharmacy-based NSP and provision of sterile drug preparation equipment for reducing IRB. CONCLUSION There is now a strong body of empirical evidence for the effectiveness of OAT and NSP, alone and in combination, in reducing IRB, and HCV and HIV transmission. However, there is still a relative lack of evidence for other interventions, including heroin-assisted treatment, pharmacological treatment for stimulant dependence, contingency management, technology-based interventions, low dead space syringes and drug consumption rooms on HCV or HIV risk.
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Nafeh F, Fusigboye S, Sornpaisarn B. Understanding injecting drug use in Afghanistan: A scoping review. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2022; 17:65. [PMID: 36123586 PMCID: PMC9484158 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-022-00491-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Several reports have described a growing prevalence of illicit drug use in Afghanistan, with recognition of a recent shift from traditional modes of consumption involving inhalation and oral ingestion to injecting drug use. Objective Conduct a comprehensive review of existing literature to map the injecting drug use situation in Afghanistan. The review intends to describe risk factors and impacts of injecting drug use, drug use characteristics and risk behaviours among people who inject drugs (PWID), and access to harm reduction and treatment. Methods We searched Embase, Global Health, Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and grey literature to identify English language publications up to March 26th, 2022. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they explicitly targeted PWID or injecting drug use in Afghanistan and provided information relevant to the review questions. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts for inclusion and extracted information based on the review objectives. Results A total of 25 articles were identified representing 15 studies (11 quantitative, 2 qualitative, 2 mixed methods). All but one studies were cross-sectional. In majority of the studies, over 95% of the participants were male and most were conducted over a decade ago, in urban settings, mainly Kabul. Only one study examined risk factors of injecting drug use. Eleven studies described drug use characteristics and 9 reported risk behaviours among PWID. Health and social burden of injecting drug use were reported by 8 and 5 studies, respectively. Nine studies described access to harm reduction and treatment. Afghan PWID had high levels of injecting and sexual risk behaviours compared to global estimates. They reported high prevalence of incarceration and displacement. Access to harm reduction and treatment was very limited. This scoping review revealed important knowledge gaps including a gender gap in research with serious implications for drug policy and substance use care. Conclusions Development of a national public health-oriented drug policy and substance use care programme is warranted along with efforts to develop health research capacity to address the need for epidemiological data. The current humanitarian crisis necessitates continued access to evidence-based harm reduction and treatment in Afghanistan. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13011-022-00491-1.
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Khezri M, Shokoohi M, Mirzazadeh A, Tavakoli F, Ghalekhani N, Mousavian G, Mehmandoost S, Kazerooni PA, Haghdoost AA, Karamouzian M, Sharifi H. HIV Prevalence and Related Behaviors Among People Who Inject Drugs in Iran from 2010 to 2020. AIDS Behav 2022; 26:2831-2843. [PMID: 35195820 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03627-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Injection drug use has been the leading route of HIV transmission in Iran. We assessed HIV prevalence, risk behaviors, and uptake of prevention services among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Iran between 2010 and 2020. We also examined the individual and environmental determinants of HIV among PWID. PWID were recruited in major cities across the country in three national bio--behavioral surveillance surveys in 2010, 2014, and 2020. Participants were tested for HIV and interviewed using a behavioral questionnaire. Between 2010 and 2020, the prevalence of HIV (15.1% to 3.5%), receptive needle sharing (25.2% to 3.9%) and unprotected sex (79.4% to 65.2%) decreased. Moreover, uptake of free needle/syringe increased (57.4% to 87.9%), while uptake of free condoms remained relatively stable across the surveys (34.3% to 32.6%). Multivariable analysis for the 2020 survey showed that a history of homelessness, incarceration, and a longer injection career significantly increased the odds of HIV seropositivity. During the past decade, HIV prevalence and drug- and sexual-related risk behaviors decreased among Iranian PWID. However, individual and structural determinants continue to drive HIV among this population. HIV prevention, diagnosis, and treatment among marginalized PWID with a history of homelessness or incarceration and those who inject drugs for a longer period, should be further prioritized in HIV care planning and resource allocation in Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Khezri
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mostafa Shokoohi
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ali Mirzazadeh
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Fatemeh Tavakoli
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Nima Ghalekhani
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ghazal Mousavian
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Soheil Mehmandoost
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | | | - Ali Akbar Haghdoost
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Karamouzian
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Hamid Sharifi
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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Yin W, Panakadan S, Shwe YY, Peters K, Sharma M, Murphy E. Enhance harm reduction programmes in responding to the changing trend of drug use and HIV transmission in Asia and the pacific. AIDS 2021; 35:2229-2232. [PMID: 34602593 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenyuan Yin
- Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
| | - Salil Panakadan
- Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
| | - Ye Yu Shwe
- Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
| | - Karen Peters
- Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mukta Sharma
- Regional Office for South-east Asia, World Health Organization (WHO), New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Eamonn Murphy
- Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
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Grebely J, Collins AB, Artenie AA, Sutherland R, Meyer JP, Barocas JA, Falade-Nwulia O, Cepeda JA, Cunningham EB, Hajarizadeh B, Lafferty L, Lazarus JV, Bonn M, Marshall AD, Treloar C. Progress and remaining challenges to address hepatitis C, other infectious diseases, and drug-related harms to improve the health of people who use drugs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 96:103469. [PMID: 34610884 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | | | | | - Rachel Sutherland
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jaimie P Meyer
- AIDS Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States; Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, United States
| | - Joshua A Barocas
- Divisions of General Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, United States
| | - Oluwaseun Falade-Nwulia
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Javier A Cepeda
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,Baltimore, United States
| | | | | | - Lise Lafferty
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jeffrey V Lazarus
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matthew Bonn
- Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs, Dartmouth, Canada
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Injection of Anabolic Steroids in Men Who Had Sex with Men in Madrid and Barcelona: Prevalence Correlates and Role as a Risk Factor for Transmitted Infections. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18168289. [PMID: 34444038 PMCID: PMC8391652 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study describes the prevalence of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) injection, their main correlates, and the prevalence of specific AAS injection risk behaviours among men who have sex with men (MSM), an area insufficiently addressed in scientific research. Participants were HIV-negative MSM attending four HIV/STI diagnosis services: two clinics and two community programmes in Madrid and Barcelona. Participants answered an online self-administered questionnaire. Crude and adjusted lifetime prevalence and prevalence ratios (PRs) were calculated by different factors and using Poisson regression models with robust variance. Of the 3510 participants, 6.1% (95% CI: 5.3-6.9) had injected AAS before and 3.5% (95% CI: 2.9-4.2) had done so in the last 12 months. In the multivariate analysis, AAS injection was independently associated with being over 40 years old (aPR = 3.6; 95% CI: 2.0-6.5) and being born in Latin America (aPR = 2.5; 95% CI:1.9-3.4), and was less strongly associated (aPRs of around two) with having been recruited into STI clinics, having ever been paid for sex before, injected drugs, used drugs for sex, having been diagnosed with an STI before, and having been diagnosed with HIV at the recruitment consultation. Only three participants, 1.4%, of those who had injected AAS before had shared AAS or equipment for preparation or injecting before. Conclusions: In contrast to drugs, AAS injecting behaviours do not play a relevant, direct role in the transmission of blood-borne infections among MSM. However, AAS injectors have a higher prevalence of sexual risk behaviours. These findings should be confirmed using new studies that employ other sampling procedures.
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Association of skin infections with sharing of injection drug preparation equipment among people who inject drugs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 94:103198. [PMID: 33744668 PMCID: PMC8373634 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sharing needles and injection drug preparation equipment (IDPE) among people who inject drugs (PWID) are well-established risk factors for viral transmission. Shared needles and IDPE may serve as bacterial niduses for skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). Given the rising rates of SSTI in PWID, we investigated the association of needle and IDPE sharing on incidence of SSTI in a cohort of PWID. METHODS Inpatient PWID (N = 252) were recruited to a randomized controlled trial of an intervention aimed at reducing infections. The primary outcome was self-reported incidence of SSTI one-year post-hospitalization. In this secondary analysis, we assessed two variables: 1) sharing of IDPE alone, 2) sharing needles with or without IDPE, and compared these groups separately to persons who reported no sharing of needles or IDPE via a mixed-effects negative binomial regression model to estimate the effect of baseline sharing behavior on SSTI during follow-up via incidence rate ratios (IRR). RESULTS Participant characteristics: 38 years [mean], 58% male, 60% White, 90% primarily injected opioids, 1.58 (± 2.35) mean SSTI in the year prior to baseline. In terms of sharing behavior, 29% didn't share needles or IDPE, 13% shared IDPE only, and 58% shared needles with or without IDPE three months prior to baseline. After adjusting for co-variables, PWID who shared IDPE alone had a 2.2 fold higher IRR of SSTI (95%CI 1.27; 3.85, p = 0.005) and PWID who shared needles with or without IDPE had a 3.31 fold higher IRR of SSTI (95%CI 2.04; 5.37, p < 0.001), compared to those who did not share any equipment. The number of SSTI at baseline was associated with an IRR of 1.20 of SSTI during follow-up (95%CI 1.09; 1.32, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In this cohort of hospitalized PWID, we found a significant association between baseline sharing of IDPE alone and of sharing of needles with or without IDPE with one-year incidence of SSTI.
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