Drug use, injecting practices and sexual behaviour of opioid users in Sydney, Australia.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Drug use, injecting practices and sexual behaviour of opioid users in Sydney, Australia.

Br J Addict. 1990 Dec;85(12):1603-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/91145588
Darke S; Hall W; Carless J; National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New; South Wales, Kensington, Australia.

Abstract: This paper examines drug use, injection practices, and sexual behaviour in a sample of 100 opioid users, both in and out of current opiate treatment. Approximately three-quarters of subjects reported that they had used more than one illicit substance in the month prior to being interviewed. Needle sharing was common, with 29% of subjects having used a needle in the past month after it had been used by someone else, and 25% having passed on a needle after they had used it. The level of condom use was low, with 66.7% of subjects never having used a condom with their regular partner in the month prior to interview, and 20.7% of subjects who had engaged in sex with a casual partner during this period not having used a condom. Variables which were predictive of HIV risk-taking behaviour in relation to needle use were poly-drug use, not being in current treatment, and level of heroin use. Only age was predictive of risky sexual behaviour, with younger subjects being associated with more risk-taking behaviour. It was concluded that while opiate treatment was associated with lower levels of risky injecting practices, there was no association between treatment and safer sexual practices. Given the importance of sexual transmission of HIV more attention needs to be given to the sexual risk-taking behaviour of intravenous drug users.

Keywords: Adult Female *Health Behavior Heroin Dependence/PSYCHOLOGY/REHABILITATION Human HIV Infections/PREVENTION & CONTROL/PSYCHOLOGY/*TRANSMISSION Male Narcotic Dependence/*PSYCHOLOGY/REHABILITATION New South Wales/EPIDEMIOLOGY Risk Factors *Sex Behavior Substance Abuse, Intravenous/*PSYCHOLOGY/REHABILITATION Support, Non-U.S. Gov't JOURNAL ARTICLE
910630
M9160698

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