Adult IV Drug Use

The sharing of injection equipment appears to be common behavior in both IV drug users who inject frequently and in those who inject less often (Friedland et al., 1985). However, more frequent injections are likely to mean more episodes with shared equipment, thus increasing the likelihood of HIV infection. In addition, for IV drug users who are addicted, the symptoms of drug withdrawal can heighten the sense of urgency or desire for the drug and decrease the likelihood that safer injection practices will be used. Finally, whether an IV drug user did most of his or her injecting prior to 1975 or later will greatly affect his or her risk of HIV infection. Rates of 70% for hepatitis C and 20–40% for hepatitis B infection are found among injecting drug users.

The acids convert the water-insoluble cocaine base in crack to a cocaine salt (cocaine acetate or cocaine citrate), which is water-soluble (like cocaine hydrochloride). Abscesses are a common complication of intravenous drug use, resulting in an uncomfortable collection of pus under the skin. IV drug use can increase the risk of developing an abscess significantly, as well as skin infections and inflammation.

Intraveneous Drug Abuse

By the year 2030, this number is expected to increase to 299 million people – an 11% increase. Haiti still accounts for the largest burden among countries in the Caribbean, although there is evidence of stabilization of the epidemic, at least partially due to decreasing risky behaviors (Cohen, 2006a; Hallett et al., 2006). The epidemic in the Dominican Republic and the islands and nations of the Caribbean Basin remains relatively stable, albeit at rates that exceed any other region of the world excluding sub-Saharan Africa (Figueroa, 2003; Cohen, 2006b). All study activities were approved by the Institutional Review Board of New York University Langone Hospital and New York City Health and Hospitals. During a drug binge, you may not see your loved one or have any way to contact that person.

Although consistently higher seroprevalence rates have been found among minority IV drug users, more complete interpretations of the data raise questions about factors that may differentially predispose minorities to HIV infection. In some studies (e.g., Marmor et al., 1987b), racial and ethnic differences do not retain statistical significance after controlling for drug use and needle-sharing. However, in the study of IV drug users from San Francisco, both blacks and Latinos were found to have a greater prevalence of HIV infection than whites, a finding that persisted after adjusting for reported needle-sharing (Chaisson et al., 1987b). There may be behavioral differences in IV drug-use and needle-sharing behaviors across ethnic groups that are actually more accurately measured by questions on ethnicity than by questions on the behaviors themselves. Clearly, the amount of error in measuring ethnicity is likely to be much less than the error in measuring complex behavior over long periods of time. In other studies (e.g., Schoenbaum et al., 1986), racial and ethnic differences may be due to the recruitment of subjects from different areas within a single city, thus reflecting residential segregation and perhaps multiple epidemics of HIV within one city.

Changes In Injection Behavior

The studies use different outcome measures that range from the increased use of sterile injection equipment to entrance into drug treatment to any self-reported change in behavior. Even when the “same” outcome measure is used in different studies, the wording of the study questionnaires may be sufficiently different as to make comparisons across studies quite difficult. Problems in interpreting the behavioral change data also arise from a lack of specification of the mechanism or “cause” of the behavioral change. Most of the studies that have been conducted did not identify causal factors; of those that did, different analytic frameworks were used to describe the mechanisms of change, which appeared to vary according to the local environment. Nevertheless, despite the problems in assessing the extent and causes of AIDS risk reduction in different geographical areas, it is still possible to conclude from the data that risk reduction has occurred, although it is highly variable.

As discussed below, a lack of equipment and injection skills, together with certain social and physiological factors that surround https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/iv-drug-use-and-potential-complications/, affect the likelihood of needle-sharing. In countries where harm reduction programs are limited or non-existent, it is quite common for an IV users to use a single needle repeatedly or share with other users. It is also quite uncommon for a sterilizing agent to be used on needles and syringes. When fungi are present on the skin or a needle, a fungal infection can develop from IV drug use. In some cases, a fungal infection can spread or even enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk for potential medical complications and side effects. Research has shown that bacterial and fungal infections are increasing among people who inject drugs.

Sexual Behaviors And IV Drug Use

Because of legal sanctions against the possession of either, many users may be inclined to “shoot up” shortly after a drug purchase. Those who are addicted and suffering drug hunger or withdrawal symptoms may also want to inject promptly. Even if they are not addicted, some users, out of a classical type of conditioning, will feel the urge to inject the drug immediately after purchasing it (Wikler, 1973; Des Jarlais et al., 1985). All of these conditions can increase the likelihood of injection with used equipment. Contrary to popular myth, the first injection of heroin does not necessarily lead to addiction, and not all heroin users are addicts (Powell, 1973; Robins et al., 1975; Gerstein, 1976). Some individuals experiment with it for a period of time and then quit; others are intermittent users, injecting only on weekends (so-called “weekend warriors”) or on isolated occasions (“chippies”) (Zinberg et al., 1977).