Traveling Young Injection Drug Users at High Risk for Acquisition and Transmission of Viral Infectio

[Guest guest]

01-16-08

UNITED STATES: " Traveling Young Injection Drug Users at High Risk for

Acquisition and Transmission of Viral Infections "

Drug and Alcohol Dependence Vol. 93; No. 1-2: P. 43-50 (01.11.08):: Judith A.

Hahn; Page-Shafer; Jamye Ford; Alan Paciorek; a J. Lum

How does the documented high mobility of young injection drug users (IDUs)

affect their risk of acquiring and transmitting viral infections? To find out,

the researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of IDUs under age 30 in San

Francisco between 2004 and 2006.

The study participants completed a semi-structured interview and underwent

testing for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and HIV.

The authors assessed whether travel was independently associated with drug,

alcohol, sexual risk behaviors, and infection status after adjusting for

demographic characteristics and years of drug injecting.

Travel outside of San Francisco in the previous three months was reported by 62

percent of participants (n=355). When compared to non-travelers, travelers were

more likely to be under age 20, female, and planning to leave San Francisco in

the coming months.

Travel was independently associated with heavy alcohol use, drinking alcohol

until blackout, poly-substance use, more sex partners, more injecting partners,

receptive needle sharing, sharing drug preparation equipment, backloading

syringes, and pooling money to buy drugs. Younger travelers were more likely

than younger non-travelers to be infected with HCV.

" Traveling young [iDUs] are at exceptionally high risk for acquiring and

transmitting viral infections, " the authors concluded, " while their mobility

makes it challenging to effectively deliver interventions. "

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

01-16-08

UNITED STATES: " Traveling Young Injection Drug Users at High Risk for

Acquisition and Transmission of Viral Infections "

Drug and Alcohol Dependence Vol. 93; No. 1-2: P. 43-50 (01.11.08):: Judith A.

Hahn; Page-Shafer; Jamye Ford; Alan Paciorek; a J. Lum

How does the documented high mobility of young injection drug users (IDUs)

affect their risk of acquiring and transmitting viral infections? To find out,

the researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of IDUs under age 30 in San

Francisco between 2004 and 2006.

The study participants completed a semi-structured interview and underwent

testing for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and HIV.

The authors assessed whether travel was independently associated with drug,

alcohol, sexual risk behaviors, and infection status after adjusting for

demographic characteristics and years of drug injecting.

Travel outside of San Francisco in the previous three months was reported by 62

percent of participants (n=355). When compared to non-travelers, travelers were

more likely to be under age 20, female, and planning to leave San Francisco in

the coming months.

Travel was independently associated with heavy alcohol use, drinking alcohol

until blackout, poly-substance use, more sex partners, more injecting partners,

receptive needle sharing, sharing drug preparation equipment, backloading

syringes, and pooling money to buy drugs. Younger travelers were more likely

than younger non-travelers to be infected with HCV.

" Traveling young [iDUs] are at exceptionally high risk for acquiring and

transmitting viral infections, " the authors concluded, " while their mobility

makes it challenging to effectively deliver interventions. "

_________________________________________________________________

Need to know the score, the latest news, or you need your Hotmail®-get your

" fix " .

http://www.msnmobilefix.com/Default.aspx