Sex and Drugs: The Correlations of Injecting Drug Users' Risk Perception and Behavioral Patterns

Abstract

A low-level blood-borne virus infection exists among Hungary's injecting drug users (IDUs). Assessing the relationship between risk perception and risk behaviors is necessary in order to predict future drug-injecting trends. During 1999 –and 2000, 197 IDUs were interviewed in Budapest using the Risk Assessment Questionnaire developed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Certain IDUs perceived high risks but did not act accordingly. High-risk perception of sexual behavior correlates with high-risk perception of drug use, which should be taken into consideration when planning intervention strategies targeting IDUs. Additional research with a larger sample is needed to explain our results in more detail. The study's limitations have been noted.

Keywords:

• injecting drug use
• risk perception
• risky behavior
• risk environment