![Sample our Health and Social Care journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5938/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Health-Social-Care.jpg"})
Abstract
Syringe sharing continues to play an integral part in HIV epidemics involving injection drug users around the world. We examined the prevalence of syringe sharing among Canadian street youth enrolled in a prospective cohort study known as the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), and used logistic regression to examine factors associated with syringe sharing. Among 509 participants, 154 (30%) had injected drugs in the last 6 months and of those 44 (29%) injectors had shared a syringe in the previous 6 months. In logistic regression, being female (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.31, [95%CI: 1.01–5.28]), binge drug use (AOR = 2.11 [95%CI: 0.99–4.51]) and injection cocaine use (AOR = 2.43 [95%CI: 1.05–5.60]) remained associated with syringe sharing. These data indicate that, in order to reduce the potential for an explosive HIV epidemic among this population, further interventions are urgently needed to address the high level of syringe sharing among street-involved youth.