1
|
Rasool F, Klein AA, Leheste JR. Managing Addiction and Overdose Deaths: The Debate Over America's Safe Injection Spaces. Cureus 2023; 15:e50406. [PMID: 38213341 PMCID: PMC10783936 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.50406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In the decade between 2010 and 2020, the number of people killed by opioid overdoses more than tripled, reaching 68,630. Among drug users in their second and third decades of life, hepatitis B and C are also on the rise. New York City's two new supervised drug injection sites (SDISs) reversed 114 overdoses within two months, and 585 people injecting drugs visited the facility 4,974 times. By providing medical professionals and a sterile and safe environment, supervised injection sites reduce overdose risk and save lives. This suggests that SDISs could be an important adjunct to currently failing strategies to combat the nation's raging opioid crisis, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we examine the perception and impact of SDISs as well as efforts by the United States Congress (H.R. 7029 and H.R. 6159) toward their prevention. We look into the perspectives of major stakeholders, such as residents, business owners, drug users, legislators, taxpayers, and the general public, and investigate the short- and long-term consequences of SDISs based on crime statistics and published data on opioid use, overdose deaths, and blood-borne disease transmission rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Farhaad Rasool
- Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, USA
| | - Arthur A Klein
- Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, USA
| | - Joerg R Leheste
- Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jenkins WD, Friedman SR, Hurt CB, Korthuis PT, Feinberg J, Del Toro-Mejias LM, Walters S, Seal DW, Fredericksen RJ, Westergaard R, Miller WC, Go VF, Schneider J, Giurcanu M. Variation in HIV Transmission Behaviors Among People Who Use Drugs in Rural US Communities. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2330225. [PMID: 37603331 PMCID: PMC10442709 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.30225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance People who use drugs (PWUD) continue to be at risk of HIV infection, but the frequency and distribution of transmission-associated behaviors within various rural communities is poorly understood. Objective To examine the association of characteristics of rural PWUD with HIV transmission behaviors. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cross-sectional study, surveys of PWUD in rural communities in 10 states (Illinois, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) were collected January 2018 through March 2020 and analyzed August through December 2022. A chain-referral sampling strategy identified convenience sample seeds who referred others who used drugs. Rural PWUD who reported any past 30-day injection drug use or noninjection opioid use "to get high" were included. Exposures Individual characteristics, including age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, partnership status, drug of choice, and location, were collected. Main Outcomes and Measures Past 30-day frequency of behaviors associated with HIV transmission, including drug injection, syringe sharing, opposite- and same-gender partners, transactional sex, and condomless sex, was assessed. Results Of 3048 rural PWUD (mean [SD] age, 36.1 [10.3] years; 225 American Indian [7.4%], 96 Black [3.2%], and 2576 White [84.5%] among 3045 with responses; and 1737 men [57.0%] among 3046 with responses), most participants were heterosexual (1771 individuals [86.8%] among 2040 with responses) and single (1974 individuals [68.6%] among 2879 with responses). Opioids and stimulants were reported as drug of choice by 1636 individuals (53.9%) and 1258 individuals (41.5%), respectively, among 3033 individuals with responses. Most participants reported recent injection (2587 of 3046 individuals [84.9%] with responses) and condomless sex (1406 of 1757 individuals [80.0%] with responses), among whom 904 of 1391 individuals (65.0%) with responses indicated that it occurred with people who inject drugs. Syringe sharing (1016 of 2433 individuals [41.8%] with responses) and transactional sex (230 of 1799 individuals [12.8%] with responses) were reported less frequently. All characteristics and behaviors, except the number of men partners reported by women, varied significantly across locations (eg, mean [SD] age ranged from 34.5 [10.0] years in Wisconsin to 39.7 [11.0] years in Illinois; P < .001). In multivariable modeling, younger age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] for ages 15-33 vs ≥34 years, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.08-1.72) and being single (aOR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.08-1.74) were associated with recent injection; younger age (aOR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.20-1.85) and bisexual orientation (aOR vs heterosexual orientation, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.60-3.23) with syringe sharing; gender identity as a woman (aOR vs gender identity as a man, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.01-2.12), bisexual orientation (aOR vs heterosexual orientation, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.67-4.03), and being single (aOR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.15-2.55) with transactional sex; and bisexual orientation (aOR vs heterosexual orientation, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.04-2.46) and stimulants as the drug of choice (aOR vs opioids, 1.45; 95 CI, 1.09-1.93) with condomless sex with someone who injects drugs. Conclusions and Relevance This study found that behaviors associated with HIV transmission were common and varied across communities. These findings suggest that interventions to reduce HIV risk among rural PWUD may need to be tailored to locally relevant factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wiley D. Jenkins
- Department of Population Science and Policy, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield
| | - Samuel R. Friedman
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York
| | - Christopher B. Hurt
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - P. Todd Korthuis
- Addiction Medicine Section, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland
| | | | | | - Suzan Walters
- School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York
| | - David W. Seal
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | | | - Ryan Westergaard
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison
| | - William C. Miller
- Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Vivian F. Go
- Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - John Schneider
- Biological Sciences Division, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mihai Giurcanu
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mackesy-Amiti ME, Boodram B, Page K, Latkin C. Injection partnership characteristics and HCV status associations with syringe and equipment sharing among people who inject drugs. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1191. [PMID: 37340398 PMCID: PMC10283252 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16133-5] [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: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sharing of syringes is the leading transmission pathway for hepatitis C (HCV) infections. The extent to which HCV can spread among people who inject drugs (PWID) is largely dependent on syringe-sharing network factors. Our study aims to better understand partnership characteristics and syringe and equipment sharing with those partners, including measures of relationship closeness, sexual activity, and social support, as well as self and partner HCV status to better inform interventions for young urban and suburban PWID. METHODS Data are from baseline interviews of a longitudinal network-based study of young (aged 18-30) PWID (egos) and their injection network members (alters) in metropolitan Chicago (n = 276). All participants completed a computer-assisted interviewer-administered questionnaire and an egocentric network survey on injection, sexual, and support networks. RESULTS Correlates of syringe and ancillary equipment sharing were found to be similar. Sharing was more likely to occur in mixed-gender dyads. Participants were more likely to share syringes and equipment with injection partners who lived in the same household, who they saw every day, who they trusted, who they had an intimate relationship with that included condomless sex, and who provided personal support. PWID who had tested HCV negative within the past year were less likely to share syringes with an HCV positive partner compared to those who did not know their status. CONCLUSION PWID regulate their syringe and other injection equipment sharing to some extent by sharing preferentially with injection partners with whom they have a close personal or intimate relationship, and whose HCV status they are more likely to know. Our findings underscore the need for risk interventions and HCV treatment strategies to consider the social context of syringe and equipment sharing within partnerships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Ellen Mackesy-Amiti
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor St., MC 923, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
| | - Basmattee Boodram
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor St., MC 923, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Kimberly Page
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Carl Latkin
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Artenie A, Stone J, Fraser H, Stewart D, Arum C, Lim AG, McNaughton AL, Trickey A, Ward Z, Abramovitz D, Alary M, Astemborski J, Bruneau J, Clipman SJ, Coffin CS, Croxford S, DeBeck K, Emanuel E, Hayashi K, Hermez JG, Low-Beer D, Luhmann N, Macphail G, Maher L, Palmateer NE, Patel EU, Sacks-Davis R, Van Den Boom W, van Santen DK, Walker JG, Hickman M, Vickerman P. Incidence of HIV and hepatitis C virus among people who inject drugs, and associations with age and sex or gender: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 8:533-552. [PMID: 36996853 PMCID: PMC10817215 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(23)00018-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Measuring the incidence of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among people who inject drugs (PWID) is key to track progress towards elimination. We aimed to summarise global data on HIV and primary HCV incidence among PWID and associations with age and sex or gender. METHODS In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we updated an existing database of HIV and HCV incidence studies among PWID by searching MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO, capturing studies published between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec 12, 2022, with no language or study design restrictions. We contacted authors of identified studies for unpublished or updated data. We included studies that estimated incidence by longitudinally re-testing people at risk of infection or by using assays for recent infection. We pooled incidence and relative risk (RR; young [generally defined as ≤25 years] vs older PWID; women vs men) estimates using random-effects meta-analysis and assessed risk of bias with a modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020220884. FINDINGS Our updated search identified 9493 publications, of which 211 were eligible for full-text review. An additional 377 full-text records from our existing database and five records identified through cross-referencing were assessed. Including 28 unpublished records, 125 records met the inclusion criteria. We identified 64 estimates of HIV incidence (30 from high-income countries [HICs] and 34 from low-income or middle-income countries [LMICs]) and 66 estimates of HCV incidence (52 from HICs and 14 from LMICs). 41 (64%) of 64 HIV and 42 (64%) of 66 HCV estimates were from single cities rather than being multi-city or nationwide. Estimates were measured over 1987-2021 for HIV and 1992-2021 for HCV. Pooled HIV incidence was 1·7 per 100 person-years (95% CI 1·3-2·3; I2=98·4%) and pooled HCV incidence was 12·1 per 100 person-years (10·0-14·6; I2=97·2%). Young PWID had a greater risk of HIV (RR 1·5, 95% CI 1·2-1·8; I2=66·9%) and HCV (1·5, 1·3-1·8; I2=70·6%) acquisition than older PWID. Women had a greater risk of HIV (RR 1·4, 95% CI 1·1-1·6; I2=55·3%) and HCV (1·2, 1·1-1·3; I2=43·3%) acquisition than men. For both HIV and HCV, the median risk-of-bias score was 6 (IQR 6-7), indicating moderate risk. INTERPRETATION Although sparse, available HIV and HCV incidence estimates offer insights into global levels of HIV and HCV transmission among PWID. Intensified efforts are needed to keep track of the HIV and HCV epidemics among PWID and to expand access to age-appropriate and gender-appropriate prevention services that serve young PWID and women who inject drugs. FUNDING Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé, Canadian Network on Hepatitis C, UK National Institute for Health and Care Research, and WHO.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adelina Artenie
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Jack Stone
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Hannah Fraser
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Daniel Stewart
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Public Health Speciality Training Programme, South West, Bristol, UK
| | - Chiedozie Arum
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Aaron G Lim
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Anna L McNaughton
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Adam Trickey
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Zoe Ward
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Michel Alary
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Jacquie Astemborski
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Département de Médecine Familiale et Médecine d'Urgence, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Research Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Steven J Clipman
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carla S Coffin
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sara Croxford
- Public Health and Clinical Directorate, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
| | - Kora DeBeck
- School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Eva Emanuel
- Blood Safety, Hepatitis, STI and HIV Division, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- BC Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Joumana G Hermez
- Department of Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Daniel Low-Beer
- Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Niklas Luhmann
- Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gisela Macphail
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Infectious Diseases, CUPS Liver Clinic, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Lisa Maher
- Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Norah E Palmateer
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK; Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Eshan U Patel
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rachel Sacks-Davis
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Daniela K van Santen
- Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Josephine G Walker
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Drug Injection-Related and Sexual Behavior Changes in Drug Injecting Networks after the Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP): A Social Network-Based Study in Athens, Greece. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18052388. [PMID: 33804500 PMCID: PMC7967732 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP) was a network-based, enhanced contact tracing approach, targeting recently HIV-infected people who inject drugs (PWID) in Athens, Greece (2013–2015). This analysis examines behavioral changes of participants in TRIP and their determinants between baseline and follow-up visits to the program. All participants of TRIP were tested for HIV and interviewed using a questionnaire with items on drug injection-related and sexual behaviors. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine potential relationships between participants’ behaviors and sociodemographic or other characteristics. The analysis included 292 participants. At follow-up, the percentage of participants who injected drugs decreased [92.5%, n = 270 versus 72.3%, n = 211 (p < 0.001)], and more participants adopted safer behaviors. Employment, age, and gender were significantly associated with some behavioral changes. For instance, unemployed participants were half as likely as the employed to stop drug injection [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.475, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.228, 0.988]. Increasing age was associated with lower probability of sharing syringes at follow-up (aOR: 0.936, 95%CI: 0.887, 0.988). Finally, females were less likely than males to improve their behavior related to sharing cookers, filters, or rinse water (aOR: 0.273, 95% CI: 0.100, 0.745). In conclusion, adoption of safer behaviors was observed following TRIP implementation. Future prevention programs should focus on younger PWID and especially females. Social efforts to support employment of PWID are also important.
Collapse
|
6
|
Rezaei O, Ghiasvand H, Higgs P, Noroozi A, Noroozi M, Rezaei F, Armoon B, Bayani A. Factors associated with injecting-related risk behaviors among people who inject drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis study. J Addict Dis 2020; 38:420-437. [DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2020.1781346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Omid Rezaei
- Fellowship of Psychosomatic, Department of Psychiatry, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hesam Ghiasvand
- Health Management and Economics Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Health Economics Group, Medical School, Saint Luke’s Campus, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Peter Higgs
- Department of Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alireza Noroozi
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Noroozi
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Rezaei
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Bahram Armoon
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Saveh University of Medical Sciences, Saveh, Iran
| | - Azadeh Bayani
- Student Research Committee, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ready E, Habecker P, Abadie R, Khan B, Dombrowski K. Competing forces of withdrawal and disease avoidance in the risk networks of people who inject drugs. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235124. [PMID: 32569332 PMCID: PMC7307734 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We analyze a network of needle-sharing ties among 117 people who inject drugs (PWID) in rural Puerto Rico, using exponential random graph modeling to examine whether network members engage in partner restriction to lower their risk of contracting HIV or hepatitis C (HCV), or in informed altruism to prevent others from contracting these infections. Although sharing of used syringes is a significant risk factor for transmission of these diseases among PWID, we find limited evidence for partner restriction or informed altruism in the network of reported needle-sharing ties. We find however that sharing of needles is strongly reciprocal, and individuals with higher injection frequency are more likely to have injected with a used needle. Drawing on our ethnographic work, we discuss how the network structures we observe may relate to a decision-making rationale focused on avoiding withdrawal sickness, which leads to risk-taking behaviors in this poor, rural context where economic considerations often lead PWID to cooperate in the acquisition and use of drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elspeth Ready
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Patrick Habecker
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Roberto Abadie
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Bilal Khan
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Kirk Dombrowski
- VP Research Admin Office, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Fortier E, Sylvestre MP, Artenie AA, Minoyan N, Jutras-Aswad D, Roy É, Grebely J, Bruneau J. Associations between housing stability and injecting frequency fluctuations: findings from a cohort of people who inject drugs in Montréal, Canada. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 206:107744. [PMID: 31785537 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between housing stability and drug injecting is complex, as both outcomes fluctuate over time. The objectives were to identify short-term trajectories of housing stability and injecting frequency among people who inject drugs (PWID) and examine how patterns of injecting frequency relate to those of housing stability. METHODS At three-month intervals, PWID enrolled between 2011 and 2016 in the Hepatitis Cohort completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire and were tested for hepatitis C and HIV infections. At each visit, participants reported, for each of the past three months, the accommodation they lived in the longest (stable/unstable) and the number of injecting days (0-30). Group-based dual trajectory modeling was conducted to identify housing stability and injecting frequency trajectories evolving concomitantly over 12 months and estimate the probabilities of following injecting trajectories conditional upon housing trajectories. RESULTS 386 participants were included (mean age 40.0, 82 % male). Three housing stability trajectories were identified: sustained (53 %), declining (20 %), and improving (27 %). Five injecting frequency trajectories were identified: sporadic (26 %), infrequent (34 %), increasing (15 %), decreasing (11 %), and frequent (13 %). PWID with improving housing were less likely to increase injecting (8 %) compared to those with sustained (17 %) or declining housing (17 %). CONCLUSIONS Improving housing was associated with a lower probability of increasing injecting compared to declining housing, while sustained housing stability was associated with a higher probability of increasing injecting compared to improving housing. Therefore, policies to improve PWID's access to stable housing are warranted and may reduce, to some extent, drug injecting and related harms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Fortier
- CHUM Research Centre, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Pierre Sylvestre
- CHUM Research Centre, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Andreea Adelina Artenie
- CHUM Research Centre, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nanor Minoyan
- CHUM Research Centre, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Didier Jutras-Aswad
- CHUM Research Centre, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Élise Roy
- Addiction Research and Study Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil, QC, Canada; Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Julie Bruneau
- CHUM Research Centre, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Gahrton C, Westman G, Lindahl K, Öhrn F, Dalgard O, Lidman C, Nilsson LH, Said K, Duberg AS, Aleman S. Prevalence of Viremic hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV infection, and vaccination status among prisoners in Stockholm County. BMC Infect Dis 2019; 19:955. [PMID: 31706284 PMCID: PMC6842501 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-019-4581-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identification and knowledge of settings with high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is important when aiming for elimination of HCV. The primary aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of viremic HCV infection among Swedish prisoners. Secondary aims were to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the proportion who have received hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination. METHODS A cross-sectional study of all incarcerated persons (n = 667) at all prisons (n = 9) in Stockholm County was conducted. All prisoners are routinely offered opt-in screening for HCV antibodies (anti-HCV), HCV RNA, HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc and HIV Ag/Ab at prison in Sweden. Data on the results of these tests and the number of received HBV vaccine doses were collected from the prison medical records. The parameters of HCV RNA, anti-HCV, and occurrence of testing for HCV were analysed in multiple logistic regression models in relation to age, sex and prison security class. RESULTS The median age was 35 (IQR 26-44) years, and 93.4% were men. Seventy-one percent (n = 471) had been tested for anti-HCV, 70% (n = 465) for HBsAg and 71% (n = 471) for HIV. The prevalence of anti-HCV, HCV RNA, HBsAg and HIV Ag/Ab was 17.0, 11.5, 1.9, and 0.2%, respectively among tested persons. The proportion of prisoners who had received full HBV vaccination was 40.6% (n = 271) among all study subjects. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of viremic HCV infection among Swedish prisoners in Stockholm County was 11.5%, which is high in comparison to the general population. Therefore, when aiming for the WHO goal of HCV elimination, prisons could suit as a platform for identification and treatment of HCV infection. There is a need to increase testing for blood-borne viruses and to improve vaccination coverage against HBV in Swedish prisons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Gahrton
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gabriel Westman
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Infectious Diseases, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Lindahl
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Öhrn
- Center for Innovation, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olav Dalgard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Christer Lidman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Karouk Said
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Upper Gastrointestinal Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ann-Sofi Duberg
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Soo Aleman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gounder PP, Koch A, Provo G, Lovlie A, Ederth JL, Axelsson M, Archibald CP, Hanley B, Mullen A, Matheson M, Allison D, Trykker H, Hennessy TW, Kuusi M, Chulanov V, McMahon BJ. Summary of available surveillance data on hepatitis C virus infection from eight Arctic countries, 2012 to 2014. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 23. [PMID: 30301489 PMCID: PMC6178586 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2018.23.40.1700408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We summarised available hepatitis C virus (HCV) surveillance data for 2012–14 from Arctic/sub-Arctic countries/regions. We sent a HCV data collection template by email to public health authorities in all jurisdictions. Population statistics obtained from census sources for each country were used to estimate rates of reported acute and chronic/undifferentiated HCV cases. Seven countries with Arctic regions (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and the United States, represented by the state of Alaska), including three Canadian territories and one province, as well as 11 Russian subnational Arctic regions, completed the data collection template. Data on acute HCV infection during 2014 was available from three Arctic countries and all Russian Arctic regions (rate range 0/100,000 population in Greenland, as well as Nenets and Chukotka Automous Okrugs (Russian subnational Arctic regions) to 3.7/100,000 in the Russian Republic of Komi). The rate of people with chronic/undifferentiated HCV infection in 2014 ranged from 0/100,000 in Greenland to 171.2/100,000 in Alaska. In most countries/regions, the majority of HCV-infected people were male and aged 19–64 years. Differences in surveillance methods preclude direct comparisons of HCV surveillance data between Arctic countries/regions. Our data can inform future efforts to develop standardised approaches to HCV surveillance in the Arctic countries/regions by identifying similarities/differences between the surveillance data collected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prabhu P Gounder
- Arctic Investigations Program, Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Anders Koch
- Lisimatusarfik, University of Greenland, Nuuk, Greenland.,Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ginger Provo
- Division of Public Health, State of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Astrid Lovlie
- Department for Infectious Disease Registries, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Josefine Lundberg Ederth
- Department of Public Health Analysis and Data Management, Public Health Agency of Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Axelsson
- Unit for Epidemiology & Health Economic, the Public Health Agency of Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Chris P Archibald
- Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Brendan Hanley
- Chief Medical Officer of Health, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
| | - Angie Mullen
- Department of Health, Government of Nunavut, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
| | - Myrna Matheson
- Communicable Disease Control Unit, Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
| | - David Allison
- Department of Health and Community Services, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | | | - Thomas W Hennessy
- Arctic Investigations Program, Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Markku Kuusi
- National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vladimir Chulanov
- Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Reference Center for Viral Hepatitis, Moscow, Russia
| | - Brian J McMahon
- Liver Diseases and Hepatitis Program, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage, Alaska, USA.,Arctic Investigations Program, Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Using Contact Patterns to Inform HIV Interventions in Persons Who Inject Drugs in Northern Vietnam. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 78:1-8. [PMID: 29389769 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Population mixing patterns can greatly inform allocation of HIV prevention interventions such as treatment as prevention or preexposure prophylaxis. Characterizing contact patterns among subgroups can help identify the specific combinations of contact expected to result in the greatest number of new infections. SETTING Baseline data from an intervention to reduce HIV-related risk behaviors in male persons who inject drugs (PWID) in the Northern Vietnamese province of Thai Nguyen were used for the analysis. METHODS Egocentric network data were provided by PWID who reported any drug-injection equipment sharing in the previous 3 months. Age-dependent mixing was assessed to explore its epidemiological implications on risk of HIV transmission risk (among those HIV-infected) and HIV acquisition risk (among those not infected) in PWID. RESULTS A total of 1139 PWID collectively reported 2070 equipment-sharing partnerships in the previous 3 months. Mixing by age identified the 30-34 and 35-39 years age groups as the groups from whom the largest number of new infections was transmitted, making them primary targets for treatment as prevention. Among the uninfected, 25-29, 30-35, and 35-39 years age groups had the highest HIV acquisition rate, making them the primary targets for preexposure prophylaxis. CONCLUSIONS Collection and analysis of contact patterns in PWID is feasible and can greatly inform infectious disease dynamics and targeting of appropriate interventions. Results presented also provide much needed empirical data on mixing to improve mathematical models of disease transmission in this population.
Collapse
|
12
|
Ganapathi L, McFall AM, Srikrishnan AK, Kumar MS, Anand S, Lucas GM, Mehta SH, Harris SK, Solomon SS. Young people who inject drugs in India have high HIV incidence and behavioural risk: a cross-sectional study. J Int AIDS Soc 2019; 22:e25287. [PMID: 31116005 PMCID: PMC6530044 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There are limited data on young people who inject drugs (PWID) from low- and middle-income countries where injection drug use remains a key driver of new HIV infections. India has a diverse injection drug use epidemic and estimates suggest that at least half of PWID are ≤30 years of age. We compared injection and sexual risk behaviours and HIV incidence between younger and older PWID and characterized uptake of HIV testing and harm reduction services to inform targeted HIV prevention efforts. METHODS We analysed cross-sectional data from 14,381 PWID recruited from cities in the Northeast and North/Central regions of India in 2013 using respondent driven sampling (RDS). We compared "emerging-adult" (18 to 24 years, 26% of sample) and "young-adult" PWID (25 to 30 years, 30% of sample) to older PWID (>30 years, 44% of sample) using logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with three recent risk behaviours: needle-sharing, multiple sexual partners and unprotected sex. We estimated age-stratified cross-sectional HIV incidence using a validated multi-assay algorithm. RESULTS Compared to older adults, emerging-adults in the Northeastern states were significantly more likely to share needles (males adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.82; females aOR 2.29, p < 0.01), have multiple sexual partners (males aOR 1.56; females aOR 3.75, p < 0.01), and engage in unprotected sex (males aOR 2.29, p < 0.01). In the North/Central states, young-adult males were significantly more likely to needle-share (aOR 1.23, p < 0.05) while emerging-adult males were significantly more likely to have multiple sexual partners (aOR 1.74, p < 0.05). In both regions, emerging-adults had the lowest HIV testing. Participation in harm reduction services was low across all age groups. Annual HIV incidence was higher in emerging- and young-adult PWID in the North/Central region: emerging-adults: 4.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.0, 5.6); young-adults: 4.9% (95% CI 3.7, 6.2); older adults: 2.1% (95% CI 1.4, 2.8). CONCLUSIONS Higher HIV incidence and engagement in risky behaviours among younger PWID compared to older PWID, coupled with low utilization of harm reduction services highlight the importance of targeting this population in HIV programming. Age-specific interventions focused on addressing the needs of young PWID are urgently needed to curb the HIV epidemic in this vulnerable population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lakshmi Ganapathi
- Division of Infectious DiseasesBoston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Allison M McFall
- Department of EpidemiologyThe Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMDUSA
| | | | | | - Santhanam Anand
- YR Gaitonde Center for AIDS Research and EducationChennaiIndia
| | - Gregory M Lucas
- Division of Infectious DiseasesThe Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Shruti H Mehta
- Department of EpidemiologyThe Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Sion K Harris
- Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse ResearchBoston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Sunil S Solomon
- Division of Infectious DiseasesThe Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMDUSA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Bozinoff N, Luo L, Dong H, Krüsi A, DeBeck K. Street-involved youth engaged in sex work at increased risk of syringe sharing. AIDS Care 2018; 31:69-76. [PMID: 29999421 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2018.1497134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Syringe sharing places street-involved young people at risk of acquiring HIV and hepatitis C. While markers of economic marginalization, such as homelessness, have been linked with syringe sharing and have led to targeted interventions, the relationship between syringe sharing and other markers of economic vulnerability, such as sex work, are not well documented among young people. This study examines whether those engaged in sex work are at increased risk of syringe borrowing and syringe lending among street-involved youth who use injection drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Between September 2005 and May 2014, data was collected from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort of street involved youth aged 14-26. Generalized estimating equations with a confounding model building approach was used to examine the relationship between sex work and syringe borrowing and lending. 498 youth reported injecting drugs at some point during the study period and were therefore included in the analysis. In multivariable analysis, youth who engaged in sex work were at an elevated risk of both syringe borrowing (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.17, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.40-3.36) and syringe lending (AOR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.07-2.59). Our study found that youth engaged in street-based sex work were at a significantly higher risk of both syringe borrowing and lending among youth who use injection drugs in Vancouver. Ready access to clean syringes, safer working conditions for sex workers to enable risk reduction measures, and increased access to addiction treatment are identified as promising opportunities for reducing syringe sharing in this setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikki Bozinoff
- a British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS , Vancouver , BC , Canada.,b Department of Family and Community Medicine , University of Toronto , Toronto , ON , Canada.,c B.C. Centre on Substance Use , Vancouver , BC , Canada
| | - Lerly Luo
- a British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS , Vancouver , BC , Canada.,c B.C. Centre on Substance Use , Vancouver , BC , Canada
| | - Huiru Dong
- a British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS , Vancouver , BC , Canada.,c B.C. Centre on Substance Use , Vancouver , BC , Canada
| | - Andrea Krüsi
- a British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS , Vancouver , BC , Canada.,c B.C. Centre on Substance Use , Vancouver , BC , Canada.,d Department of Medicine , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada
| | - Kora DeBeck
- a British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS , Vancouver , BC , Canada.,c B.C. Centre on Substance Use , Vancouver , BC , Canada.,e School of Public Policy , Simon Fraser University , Vancouver , BC , Canada
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Syringe Sharing Among a Prospective Cohort of Street-Involved Youth: Implications for Needle Distribution Programs. AIDS Behav 2017; 21:2717-2725. [PMID: 28409267 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-017-1762-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The sharing of previously used syringes is associated with the transmission of Hepatitis C and HIV. This longitudinal study examines syringe borrowing and syringe lending within a prospective cohort of street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada. From September 2005 to May 2014, data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study, a cohort of street-involved youth age 14-26 at enrollment, and analyzed using generalized estimating equations. Among 505 participants, 142 (28.1%) reported syringe borrowing and 132 (26.1%) reported syringe lending during the study period. In separate multivariable analyses, having difficulty finding clean needles and homelessness were significantly associated with syringe borrowing (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.28, 95% CI 1.66-3.12 and AOR = 1.52, CI 1.05-2.21, respectively) and syringe lending (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.32-2.71 and AOR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.11-2.44, respectively) (all p values < 0.05). Findings highlight gaps in syringe access for vulnerable young injectors and suggest that service delivery for youth may be suboptimal. Further examination of how needle distribution efforts might be improved to better meet the needs of young people is warranted.
Collapse
|
15
|
Alaei A, Alaei K, Waye K, Tracy M, Nalbandyan M, Mutlu E, Cetin MK. Hepatitis C infection and other drug-related harms among inpatients who injected drugs in Turkey. J Viral Hepat 2017; 24:496-505. [PMID: 27925346 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.12662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is easily spread among those who share drug injection equipment. Due to the ease of contraction and growing prevalence of HCV in Eastern Europe, the aims of this study focused on describing risky injection practices as well as the prevalence of HCV, HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) among people who inject drugs (PWID) who were admitted to public and private drug treatment centres in Turkey from 2012 to 2013. Other aims included identifying correlates of needle sharing and HCV infection. Of the 4694 inpatients who ever injected drugs and the 3914 who injected in the past 30 days, nearly all (98%) reported heroin as their drug of choice, the vast majority reported ever sharing a needle (73.4% and 79.3%), and the mean age at first injection was 23 years. Of current PWID, 51.9% were HCV-positive, 5.9% were HBV-positive and only 0.34% of lifetime PWID were HIV-positive. Predictors of increased needle sharing include younger age, being unemployed, having lesser education and reporting heroin as a drug of choice. Significant predictors of HCV infection included being 40 years or older, receiving treatment in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, reporting heroin as a primary substance, a longer duration of drug use and sharing needles. With this information, it is essential to improve access to clean injection equipment in Turkey, to focus on improving education on clean injection practices and to enhance efforts in testing and treating HCV-positive PWID.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Alaei
- Global Institute for Health and Human Rights, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.,Department of Health Policy, Management, and Behavior, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - K Alaei
- Global Institute for Health and Human Rights, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.,Department of Health Policy, Management, and Behavior, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA.,Department of Public Administration and Policy, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - K Waye
- Global Institute for Health and Human Rights, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - M Tracy
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - M Nalbandyan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - E Mutlu
- Department of Psychology, Gelisim University, Avcılar, Turkey
| | - M K Cetin
- Turkish Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Irwin A, Jozaghi E, Weir BW, Allen ST, Lindsay A, Sherman SG. Mitigating the heroin crisis in Baltimore, MD, USA: a cost-benefit analysis of a hypothetical supervised injection facility. Harm Reduct J 2017; 14:29. [PMID: 28532488 PMCID: PMC5441005 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-017-0153-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In Baltimore, MD, as in many cities throughout the USA, overdose rates are on the rise due to both the increase of prescription opioid abuse and that of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids in the drug market. Supervised injection facilities (SIFs) are a widely implemented public health intervention throughout the world, with 97 existing in 11 countries worldwide. Research has documented the public health, social, and economic benefits of SIFs, yet none exist in the USA. The purpose of this study is to model the health and financial costs and benefits of a hypothetical SIF in Baltimore. Methods We estimate the benefits by utilizing local health data and data on the impact of existing SIFs in models for six outcomes: prevented human immunodeficiency virus transmission, Hepatitis C virus transmission, skin and soft-tissue infection, overdose mortality, and overdose-related medical care and increased medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence. Results We predict that for an annual cost of $1.8 million, a single SIF would generate $7.8 million in savings, preventing 3.7 HIV infections, 21 Hepatitis C infections, 374 days in the hospital for skin and soft-tissue infection, 5.9 overdose deaths, 108 overdose-related ambulance calls, 78 emergency room visits, and 27 hospitalizations, while bringing 121 additional people into treatment. Conclusions We conclude that a SIF would be both extremely cost-effective and a significant public health and economic benefit to Baltimore City.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amos Irwin
- Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Silver Spring, MD, USA. .,Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
| | - Ehsan Jozaghi
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Brian W Weir
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sean T Allen
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrew Lindsay
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, Amherst College, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Nasarruddin AM, Saifi RA, Othman S, Kamarulzaman A. Opening up the HIV epidemic: a review of HIV seropositive status disclosure among people who inject drugs. AIDS Care 2016; 29:533-540. [PMID: 27530678 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2016.1220485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
HIV status disclosure plays a crucial role in reducing risk behaviors of drug and sexual partners and thereby limiting HIV transmission. As people who inject drugs (PWID) bear a significant HIV burden and disclosure research among PWID is relatively few, we reviewed the literature to highlight what is known about disclosure among HIV-positive PWID. Searches of articles published from 2000 to 2015 yielded 17 studies addressing different aspects of disclosure, and results are presented by major themes. Our results suggest that despite the difficulties, most PWID (64-86%) disclose their HIV-positive status to trusted individuals (family members and intimate sexual partners) and to those who are known to be HIV-positive. Disclosure to non-intimate sexual partners and fellow drug users is relatively lower. Disclosure decision-making is primarily driven by the perceived positive and negative consequences of disclosure. Subsequent risk reduction practices following disclosure are influenced by the feeling of responsibility, as well as partners' willingness to accept risk. Cultural family values, ethnicity, and different localities were several contextual factors that affect patterns of disclosure and risk behaviors of PWID. Areas for future research are recommended.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aishah M Nasarruddin
- a Department of Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine , University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
| | - Rumana A Saifi
- b Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS, Faculty of Medicine , University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
| | - Sajaratulnisah Othman
- a Department of Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine , University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
| | - Adeeba Kamarulzaman
- b Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS, Faculty of Medicine , University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Markham KB, Scrape SR, Prasad M, Rossi KQ, O'Shaughnessy RW. Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn due to Intravenous Drug Use. AJP Rep 2016; 6:e129-32. [PMID: 26989567 PMCID: PMC4794441 DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1579646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives The objective is to present a pregnancy complication associated with intravenous drug use, namely, that of red blood cell alloimmunization and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. Methods An observational case series is presented including women with red blood cell alloimmunization most likely secondary to intravenous drug abuse Results Five pregnancies were identified that were complicated by red blood cell alloimmunization and significant hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn, necessitating intrauterine transfusion, an indicated preterm birth, or neonatal therapy. Conclusions As opioid abuse continues to increase in the United States, clinicians should be aware of the potential for alloimmunization to red blood cell antibodies as yet another negative outcome from intravenous drug abuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kara B Markham
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Scott R Scrape
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Mona Prasad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Karen Q Rossi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Carmel Health System, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Richard W O'Shaughnessy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Roux P, Le Gall JM, Debrus M, Protopopescu C, Ndiaye K, Demoulin B, Lions C, Haas A, Mora M, Spire B, Suzan-Monti M, Carrieri MP. Innovative community-based educational face-to-face intervention to reduce HIV, hepatitis C virus and other blood-borne infectious risks in difficult-to-reach people who inject drugs: results from the ANRS-AERLI intervention study. Addiction 2016; 111:94-106. [PMID: 26234629 DOI: 10.1111/add.13089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Revised: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To study the effectiveness of an educational intervention on risks associated with drug injection, comparing primary [unsafe HIV-hepatitis C virus (HCV) practices] and secondary (local complications at injecting site) end-points in harm reduction (HR) programmes offering this intervention versus HR programmes not offering it. DESIGN This non-random clustered intervention study was conducted in nine intervention groups (programmes offering the intervention) and eight control groups (programmes not offering it). Each participant was followed-up through a telephone interview at enrolment and at 6 and 12 months. SETTING The study took place in 17 cities throughout France. PARTICIPANTS Of the 271 participants, 144 were enrolled into the intervention group and 127 in the control group. Of the latter, 113 received at least one educational session. INTERVENTION A series of participant-centred face-to-face educational sessions. Each session included direct observation by trained non-governmental organization (NGO) staff or volunteers of participants' self-injecting the psychoactive product they used habitually; analysis by the trained NGO staff or volunteers of the participant's injecting practices, identification of injection-related risks and explanation of safer injecting practices; and an educational exchange on the individual participant's injection practices and the questions he or she asked. MEASUREMENTS Primary and secondary outcomes were 'at least one unsafe HIV-HCV practice' and at least one injection-related complication (derived from a checklist). FINDINGS The proportion of participants with at least one unsafe HIV-HCV practice in the intervention group decreased significantly, from 44% at M0 to 25% at M6, as well as complications at the injection site (from 66 to 39% at M12), while in the control group it remained mainly stable. Multivariate probit analyses showed that the intervention group experienced a significant reduction in unsafe HIV-HCV practices at M6 [coefficient, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.73 (-1.47 to 0.01)] and in injection-related complications at M12 [coefficient, 95% CI = -1.01 (-1.77 to -0.24)], compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS An inexpensive and easily implemented educational intervention on risks associated with drug injection reduces significantly unsafe HIV-HCV transmission practices and injection-related complications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Perrine Roux
- INSERM U912 (SESSTIM), Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,ORS PACA, Observatoire Régional de la Santé Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Camélia Protopopescu
- INSERM U912 (SESSTIM), Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,ORS PACA, Observatoire Régional de la Santé Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Marseille, France
| | - Khadim Ndiaye
- INSERM U912 (SESSTIM), Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,ORS PACA, Observatoire Régional de la Santé Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Marseille, France
| | - Baptiste Demoulin
- INSERM U912 (SESSTIM), Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,ORS PACA, Observatoire Régional de la Santé Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Marseille, France
| | - Caroline Lions
- INSERM U912 (SESSTIM), Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,ORS PACA, Observatoire Régional de la Santé Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Marseille, France
| | | | - Marion Mora
- INSERM U912 (SESSTIM), Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,ORS PACA, Observatoire Régional de la Santé Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Marseille, France
| | - Bruno Spire
- INSERM U912 (SESSTIM), Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,ORS PACA, Observatoire Régional de la Santé Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Marseille, France.,AIDES, Marseille, France
| | - Marie Suzan-Monti
- INSERM U912 (SESSTIM), Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,ORS PACA, Observatoire Régional de la Santé Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Marseille, France.,AIDES, Marseille, France
| | - Maria Patrizia Carrieri
- INSERM U912 (SESSTIM), Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,ORS PACA, Observatoire Régional de la Santé Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Cedarbaum ER, Banta-Green CJ. Health behaviors of young adult heroin injectors in the Seattle area. Drug Alcohol Depend 2016; 158:102-9. [PMID: 26651427 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent indicators point to substantial increases in the number of young heroin users across much of the United States as well as across Washington State. This study characterizes this younger generation of heroin injectors in order to inform public health responses. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using street-intercept surveys at King County, WA syringe exchange programs in 2013. Survey responses were restricted to heroin injectors (n=389) and then categorized by the participant's age (<30 and ≥30) for a descriptive epidemiological analysis. A manual stepwise logistic regression tested the independent relationship of user characteristics with being under the age of 30. RESULTS In regression analyses, adjusting for other characteristics, young adults were significantly (p<0.05) more likely to: re-use syringes 2-4 times (OR=2.28 compared to those who used a syringe once), share syringes (OR=2.92), report they were "hooked on" prescription-type opioids prior to using heroin (OR=2.54), have had a sexual partner in the prior year (opposite sex OR=7.37, same sex OR=23.29, both genders OR=22.04), and report powder cocaine use in the prior 3 months (OR=2.49) compared to those ages 30 and older. Young adults were significantly less likely to report using pain medicines (OR=0.33), having an abscess in the prior year (OR=0.33) or having tested positive for hepatitis C (OR=0.22) than older adults adjusting for other variables. CONCLUSIONS Younger heroin injectors engage in risky injection practices more than older heroin injectors. Along with other significant differences, these findings have implications for outreach programs and medical care for younger heroin injectors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Cedarbaum
- University of Washington School of Public Health, Department of Health Services, 1959 NE Pacific St, Box 357660, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
| | - Caleb J Banta-Green
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, 1107 NE 45th St, Suite 120, Seattle, WA 98105-4631, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Morais-de-Jesus M, Daltro-Oliveira R, Pettersen KM, Dantas-Duarte A, Amaral LDD, Cavalcanti-Ribeiro P, Santos CT, Schinoni MI, Netto LR, Araújo-de-Freitas L, Paraná R, Miranda-Scippa Â, Koenen KC, Quarantini LC. Hepatitis C virus infection as a traumatic experience. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110529. [PMID: 25340574 PMCID: PMC4207714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether individuals consider their HCV infection to be a potentially traumatic experience. Additionally, we investigated its association with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the impact of PTSD diagnosis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in HCV infected subjects. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 127 HCV-infected outpatients recruited at a University Hospital in Salvador, Brazil. All subjects answered an orally-administered questionnaire to gather clinical and socio-demographic data. We investigated traumatic experiences and the subject's perception of the disease using the Trauma History Questionnaire. PTSD and other psychiatric diagnoses were assessed through the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Brazilian Version 5.0.0 (M.I.N.I. PLUS). HRQoL was assessed using Short-Form 36 (SF-36). RESULTS Approximately 38.6% of the patients considered hepatitis C to be a traumatic experience. Of these, 60.7% had a PTSD diagnosis. PTSD was associated with significant impairment in quality of life for individuals in seven SF-36 domains as shown bymultivariate analysis: Role-Physical (β: -24.85; 95% CI: -42.08; -7.61), Bodily Pain (β: -19.36; 95% CI: -31.28; -7.45), General Health (β: -20.79; 95% CI: -29.65; -11.92), Vitality (β: -11.92; 95% CI: -20.74; -3.1), Social Functioning (β: -34.73; 95% CI: -46.79; -22.68), Role-Emotional (β: -26.07; 95% CI: -44.61; -7.53), Mental Health (β: -17.46; 95% CI: -24.38; -10.54). CONCLUSION HCV is frequently a traumatic experience and it is strongly associated with PTSD diagnosis. PTSD significantly impaired HRQoL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mychelle Morais-de-Jesus
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | | | - Karine Miranda Pettersen
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Adriana Dantas-Duarte
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Cavalcanti-Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Carlos Teles Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Maria Isabel Schinoni
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Liana R. Netto
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Lucas Araújo-de-Freitas
- Hospital Universitário e Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental da Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Raymundo Paraná
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Ângela Miranda-Scippa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
- Hospital Universitário e Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental da Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Karestan C. Koenen
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health - Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Lucas C. Quarantini
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
- Hospital Universitário e Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental da Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|