Prevalence and Correlates of Former Injection Drug Use Among Young Noninjecting Heroin Users in Chicago

Abstract

Noninjecting heroin users (NIHU) that were 16–30 years old were street recruited in Chicago between 2002 and 2005 to examine factors associated with having ever injected. Participants completed computerized self-administered interviews and provided specimens for HIV and hepatitis serotesting. Of 689 NIHU, 51.2% were non-Hispanic Black, 64.4% were male, and the median age was 25 years. Former injection was reported by 17.9%; of those, 66.7% injected <10 times. Multivariable analysis identified individual and social factors that place young NIHU at increased risk of injection. Targeted interventions are necessary to prevent transitions to injection and reduce transmission of HIV and viral hepatitis infections. The study's limitations are noted.

RÉSUMÉ

Prévalence et corrélation entre usage passé de drogue par seringue et jeunes consommateurs d’héroïne sans injections à Chicago

Les consommateurs d’héroïne sans injections avaient entre 16 y 30 ans et ont été recrutés a Chicago entre 2002 et 2005 dans le but d’examiner les facteurs associés avec le fait de s’être piqué. Les personnes ont complétée une interview eux memes par ordinateur et ils ont donné des spécimens pour tester pour le HIV et l’hépatite. Parmi les 689 interviewés, 51% étaient noirs non hispaniques, 64% étaient des hommes, et l’âge moyenne était de 25 ans. Les résultats ont reporté que 17,9% s’étaient piqué dans le passé; parmi ce groupe, 66,7% s’étaient pique < de 10 fois. L’analyse des multiples variantes a identifié des individus et des facteurs sociaux que mettent plus en risque de se piquer les plus jeunes. Pour éviter la transition vers la consommation de drogue par injection et réduire la transmission des infections HIV et hépatites virales, iI est nécessaire de faire una intervention plus dirigée à ce groupe.

RESUMEN

Prevalencia y correlatos entre previo uso de droga por inyección y jóvenes que usan heroína por vías sin inyección en Chicago

Los consumidores de heroína por vía sin inyección de 16 a 30 años fueron reclutados en Chicago entre los años 2002 y 2005 para examinar factores asociados con haber inyectado previamente. Los participantes completaron entrevistas administradas por si mismos en computadoras y proveyeron especímenes para la prueba seropositiva de HIV y hepatitis. De los 689 participantes, 51% eran negros no hispanos, 64% eran varones, y la edad media era de 25 años. Se reportó inyección previa en 17,9% de los casos; entre éstos, 66,7% se inyectó.

< 10 veces. Un análisis de múltiples variantes identificó a individuos y factores que ponen a los participantes más jóvenes en una categoría más alta de riesgo de inyectarse. Para impedir las transiciones hacia la inyección y reducir la trasmisión de infecciones de HIV y de hepatitis viral, es necesario hacer intervenciones dirigidas a grupos específicos.

Keywords :

• heroin
• noninjecting heroin use
• injection drug use
• transitions to injection
• HIV infection
• viral hepatitis

THE AUTHOR

Dita Broz, Ph.D., M.P.H., is an epidemiologist and Epidemic Intelligence Officer in the Global AIDS Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Broz completed her Ph.D. degree in infectious disease epidemiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, where she worked on a study of transitions from noninjecting heroin use to drug injection and risk of HIV and hepatitis B and C transmission.

Lawrence J. Ouellet,, Ph.D., is a research associate professor, epidemiology and biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health. He directs the UIC's Community Outreach Intervention Projects (COIP), which since 1986 has conducted research and provided services focused on preventing HIV and other infectious diseases among substance users. He is a sociologist and ethnographer and the principal investigator on several projects.

Notes

1 Treatment can be briefly and usefully defined as a planned, goal directed, temporally structured change process of necessary quality, appropriateness, and conditions (endogenous and exogenous), which is bounded (culture, place, time, etc.) and can be categorized into professional-based, tradition-based, mutual-help-based (AA,NA, etc.), and self-help (“natural recovery”) models. There are no unique models or techniques used with substance users—of whatever types and heterogeneities—that are also not used with nonsubstance users. In the West, with the relatively new ideology of “harm reduction” and the even newer quality of life (QOL) treatment-driven model, there are now a new set of goals in addition to those derived from/associated with the older tradition of abstinence driven models. Editor's note.