scholarly journals Identifying the Hidden Population: Former Intravenous Drug Users Who Are No Longer in Contact with Services. “Ask a Friend”

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 170
Author(s):  
Sarah R. Donaldson ◽  
Andrew Radley ◽  
John F. Dillon
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Hidden Population ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
History Of ◽  
Chronic Morbidity ◽  
To Come

People who, after a period of drug use, have changed their lifestyle and left substance use behind them are a hidden population within our communities. Lack of contact with drug services may mean that they are not tested for hepatitis C (HCV) infection through service-led initiatives and, therefore, may be exposed to the chronic morbidity and risk of death inherent with a legacy of HCV infection. This study utilized respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in a novel fashion to find those at historical risk of HCV. The social networks of people with a history of drug use were mapped, and individuals not currently in contact with services were invited to come forward for testing by members of their social network. The study used a reference group to inform study methodology and communication methods to reach out to this hidden population. One hundred and nine individuals received dry blood spot tests for HCV, 17.4% were antibody positive. Fifty one individuals met the inclusion criteria for this study. One hundred and twenty three invite-to-test coupons were issued; however, only one wave of recruitment consisting of one participant resulted from this method. Using RDS in historical social networks was not effective in this study and did not reach this hidden population and increase testing for HCV. This study is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (Ref NCT03697135).

scholarly journals HIV incidence rates among drug users in northern Thailand, 1993–7

2000 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. JITTIWUTIKARN ◽  
P. SAWANPANYALERT ◽  
N. RANGSIVEROJ ◽  
P. SATITVIPAWEE
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
Northern Thailand ◽  
Major Mode ◽  
Treatment Centre ◽  
History Of

Drug use is a major mode of HIV transmission in Thailand. This study determined HIV incidence rates among drug users in a regional drug treatment centre in northern Thailand. A retrospective cohort of repeatedly-hospitalized drug users between 1993 and 1997 was formed and HIV incidence rates were calculated. The overall incidence was 11·44 per 100 person-years of observation. Gender, age, religion, ethnicity, education, employment, income, reasons for drug use, type of drugs, mode of use, spending on drugs, and referral for treatment are associated with HIV incidence. However, there are no associations between HIV incidence and history of treatment and mode of discharge from the centre. This implies that current treatment modality has no impact on HIV infection risk and other therapeutic approaches should be explored.

scholarly journals Factors Correlating to the Development of Hepatitis C Virus Infection among Drug Users—Findings from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (13) ◽  
pp. 2345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biao Zhou ◽  
Gao Feng Cai ◽  
Hua Kun Lv ◽  
Shuang Fei Xu ◽  
Zheng Ting Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Methadone Maintenance ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Injecting Drug Use ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Increased Risk

Hepatitis C remains a significant public health threat. However, the main routes of transmission have changed since the early 1990s. Currently, drug use is the main source of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and some measures have been successively implemented and additional studies have been published. However, the factors correlating with HCV infection failed to clearly define. Our study pooled the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and analyzed sensitivity by searching data in the PubMed, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and EBSCO databases. Publication bias was determined by Egger’s test. In our meta-analysis, HCV-infected and non-HCV-infected patients from 49 studies were analyzed. The pooled ORs with 95% CIs for study factors were as follows: Injecting drug use 10.11 (8.54, 11.97); sharing needles and syringes 2.24 (1.78, 2.83); duration of drug use >5 years 2.39 (1.54, 3.71); unemployment 1.50 (1.22, 1.85); commercial sexual behavior 1.00 (0.73, 1.38); married or cohabiting with a regular partner 0.88 (0.79, 0.98), and sexual behavior without a condom 1.72 (1.07, 2.78). This study found that drug users with histories of injecting drug use, sharing needles and syringes, drug use duration of >5 years, and unemployment, were at increased risk of HCV infection. Our findings indicate that sterile needles and syringes should be made available to ensure safe injection. In view of that, methadone maintenance treatment can reduce or put an end to risky drug-use behaviors, and should be scaled up further, thereby reducing HCV infection.

Relationships

Hurt ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Boeri
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Baby Boomers ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Addiction Recovery ◽  
Capital Building ◽  
Partner Relationships ◽  
Mainstream Society

Relationships give meaning to life, but they also provide material and emotional support. The stories in this chapter reveal that drug users had few lasting relationships that provided meaning in their lives, and most were living in “relational poverty” at the time of the interview. Some recalled childhood trauma that still impacted them emotionally; others lost family members whom they loved, which pushed them into uncontrolled drug use and chaotic addiction, recovery, and relapse cycles. While drug use is known to impair relationships and destroy marriages, this was not always the case. While drug use led to the dissolution of marriage for some, for others, partner relationships provided strength navigating treatment programs and resisting intrusions from law enforcement. Many baby boomers started using drugs with friends and often relapsed with friends; however, some had friends who paid for treatment or provided employment or housing. When drug users are incarcerated, relationships suffer, and access to the resources needed for survival is limited when they are released. The findings in this chapter highlight the need for more social capital building by repairing relationships and linking people to new social networks through facilitating access to social roles in mainstream society.

scholarly journals When and how do individuals transition from regular drug use to injection drug use in Uganda? Findings from a rapid assessment

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matayo Baluku ◽  
Twaibu Wamala
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Injection Drug Use ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Injecting Drug Users ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Injection Drug ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Background In Uganda, injection drug use is a growing but less studied problem. Preventing the transition to injection drug use may help prevent blood-borne viral transmission, but little is known about when and how people transition to injection drug use. A greater understanding of this transition process may aid in the country’s efforts to prevent the continued growth of injection drug use, HIV, and hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection among people who inject drugs (PWID). Methods Using a rapid situation assessment framework, we conducted semi-structured interviews among 125 PWID (102 males and 23 females)—recruited through outreach and snow-ball sampling. Participants were interviewed about their experiences on when and how they transitioned into injection drug use and these issues were also discussed in 12 focus groups held with the participants. Results All the study participants started their drug use career with non-injecting forms including chewing, smoking, and sniffing before transitioning to injecting. Transitioning was generally described as a peer-driven and socially learnt behavior. The participants’ social networks and accessibility to injectable drugs on the market and among close friends influenced the time lag between first regular drug use and first injecting—which took an average of 4.5 years. By the age of 24, at least 81.6% (95.7% for females and 78.4% for males) had transitioned into injecting. Over 84.8% shared injecting equipment during their first injection, 47.2% started injecting because a close friend was already injecting, 26.4% desired to achieve a greater “high” (26.4%) which could reflect drug-tolerance, and 12% out of curiosity. Conclusions Over 81% non-injecting drug users in Kampala and Mbale districts transitioned into injecting by the age of 24; a process that reproduces a population of PWID but also puts them at increased risk of HIV and HCV infection. As Uganda makes efforts to introduce and/or strengthen harm reduction services, interventions targeting non-injecting drug users before they transition into injecting should be considered as a key component for HIV/HCV epidemic control efforts, and their evaluation considered in future researches.

scholarly journals New hepatitis C virus infection, re-infection and associated risk behaviour in male Irish prisoners: a cohort study, 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Des Crowley ◽  
Gordana Avramovic ◽  
Walter Cullen ◽  
Collette Farrell ◽  
Anne Halpin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Risk Behaviour ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Heroin Use ◽  
History Of

Abstract Background Prisoners are recognised as a high-risk population and prisons as high-risk locations for the transmission of hepatitis c virus (HCV) infection. Injecting drug use (IDU) is the main driver of HCV infection in prisoners and harm reduction services are often suboptimal in prison settings. HCV prevalence and incident data in prisoners is incomplete which impacts the public health opportunity that incarceration provides in identifying, treating and preventing HCV infection. The aim of this study is to identify new HCV infection and associated risk factors in an Irish male prison. Methods We conducted a follow up (18-month) cohort study on prisoners who had previously tested negative, self-cleared or had been successfully treated for HCV infection. We conducted the study in a male medium security prison located in Dublin Ireland (Mountjoy Prison) using HCV serology, a review of medical records and a researcher-administered questionnaire. Results 99 prisoners with a mean age of 33.2 yrs. participated in the study and 82(82.8%) completed a research-administered questionnaire. Over half (51%) had a history of drug use from a young age (14.8 yrs.), 49.9% a history of heroin use and 39% a history of IDU. The prevalence of HIV and hepatitis B virus core antibody was 3% and HCV antibody was 22.2%. No new HCV infections were identified in those who had never been infected (n = 77), had self-cleared (n = 9) or achieved sustained virological response (n = 12). Small numbers of prisoners continued to engage in risk-behaviour including, IDU both in the prison (n = 2) and the community (n = 3), sharing syringes (n = 1) and drug taking paraphernalia (n = 6) and receiving non-sterile tattoos (n = 3). Conclusion Despite the high numbers of Irish prisoners with a history of IDU and HCV infection, new HCV infection is low or non-existent in this population. Small numbers of prisoners continue to engage in risk behaviour and larger studies are required to further understand HCV transmission in this cohort in an Irish and international context.

Problematic drug use, ageing and older people: trends in the age of drug users in northwest England

2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 799-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
CARYL M. BEYNON ◽  
JIM McVEIGH ◽  
BRENDA ROE
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Older People ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Hidden Population ◽  
Treatment Services ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Problematic Drug ◽  
Hospital Stays ◽  
Physical And Psychological Health

ABSTRACTIn the United Kingdom (UK) and elsewhere, little is known about problematic drug use among older people (defined here as aged 50–74 years), either because few older drug users exist or because they represent a ‘hidden’ population. In this paper, we show that the average age of drug users in contact with treatment services and agency-based syringe exchange programmes (SEPs) in the counties of Cheshire and Merseyside in northwest England is rising. Between 1998 and 2004–05, the number of older male drug users in treatment increased from 80 to 310, and the number of older females rose from 46 to 117. Consequently, the median age rose from 30.8 years in 1998 to 34.9 years in 2004–05. Similarly, between 1992 and 2004, the number of older injectors accessing SEPs increased from three to 65 men and from one to nine women. The median age of SEP attenders was 27.0 years in 1992 and 34.9 years in 2004. Drug use amongst older people is associated with poor physical and psychological health and longer hospital stays. The future cost of the ageing of drug users may be considerable. Detailed research is needed to identify the characteristics and health needs of this vulnerable population.

The Impact of Opiate Agonist Maintenance Therapy on Drug Use Within Social Networks of Injecting Drug Users

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 414-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline J. Lloyd ◽  
Steffanie A. Strathdee ◽  
Minya Pu ◽  
Jennifer R. Havens ◽  
Llewellyn J. Cornelius ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Maintenance Therapy ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Injecting Drug Users ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Opiate Agonist

Gender, Personal Networks, and Drug Use among Rural African Americans

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalyn Negrón Goldbarg ◽  
Emma J. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Drug Prevention ◽  
Personal Networks ◽  
The Social ◽  
Use Behavior

One of the main unifying concepts of research examining gender variations in drug use behavior is the social network. Yet, research specifically focusing on how the social networks of these groups differ by gender is limited. Few studies have investigated the social networks of rural African Americans who use drugs. In this study, we compared the personal networks of 20 rural African-American men and women addicted to cocaine using social network analysis (SNA) methods. The data do not support strong assertions about gender differences in the personal networks of the study sample. However, the results of the study suggest that men tend to have more drug users in their networks than women, as well as less structurally cohesive networks. Women tend to include more men in their personal networks than men included women. Implications of the research results for network-based drug prevention intervention as well as the value of SNA methods for drug use research are discussed.

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