The Role of Social Networks & Geography on Risky Injection Behaviors of Young Persons Who Inject Drugs

Little is known about young persons who inject drugs (PWID), who are increasingly from suburban communities and predominantly non-Hispanic white.

We conducted a cross-sectional personal network (egocentric) and geographic study of young PWID and their drug-using, sexual, and support network members in 2012-13 in metropolitan Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

We enrolled 164 young (median age=26), 

• mostly male (65%), 
• non-Hispanic white PWID (71%), 
• with a self-reported HCV prevalence of 13%. 

Many (59%) reported multiple residences (i.e., were transient) in the past year, 45% of whom reported living in both urban and suburban places (i.e., were cross-over transients). In multivariable analyses that adjusted for participant and network member characteristics, 

1. large injection networks were more common among homeless participants; and 
2. syringe sharing was 
1. highest among cross-over transients compared to suburban and urban only residents, 
2. higher among HCV-unknown compared HCV-negative participants, 
3. more likely with network members who were cross-over transients compared to urban and
4. less likely with network members with HCV-unknown compared to HCV-negative status.

We identified homelessness as a significant risk factor for large networks and cross-over transience as a significant risk factor for syringe sharing. 

Further research is needed to understand the role of geographic factors promoting higher risk among these crossover transient PWID.

Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/yX8mMt

By: Boodram B1, Mackesy-Amiti ME2, Latkin C3.

• 1Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 West Taylor Street, M/C 923, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA. Electronic address: bboodram@uic.edu.
• 2Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 West Taylor Street, M/C 923, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA. Electronic address: mmamiti@uic.edu.
• 3Department of Epidemiology & Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N, Broadway, Hampton House 737, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. Electronic address: carl_latkin@jhu.edu.  

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv_insight