Citizens who inject drugs: the 'Fitpack' study

Most injecting drug users have never been in drug treatment yet much research is done on samples with high treatment rates drawn from agency and peer recruited populations. This study accessed drug injectors with little or no prior drug treatment, described their characteristics, BBVI risk behaviour...

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Main Authors: Lenton, Simon, Kerry, K., Tan-Quigley, A., Greig, R.
Format: Journal Article
Published: 2000
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/20634
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author Lenton, Simon
Kerry, K.
Tan-Quigley, A.
Greig, R.
author_facet Lenton, Simon
Kerry, K.
Tan-Quigley, A.
Greig, R.
author_sort Lenton, Simon
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Most injecting drug users have never been in drug treatment yet much research is done on samples with high treatment rates drawn from agency and peer recruited populations. This study accessed drug injectors with little or no prior drug treatment, described their characteristics, BBVI risk behaviours and feedback on services. Its results challenge some stereotypes about citizens who inject drugs. A sample of 511 'hidden' drug injectors, of whom only 28.7% had any specialist drug treatment agency contact, completed a questionnaire which was distributed with 'Fitpack' needle packs sold through community pharmacies in WA. The mean age of respondents was 26.2 years, 43.4% were women, 44.3% were living with their sexual partner, 41.7% were parents, and 46.4% were employed, mostly in full time work. In the previous month 61.2% had injected less frequently than daily. The study accessed a diverse group of drug injectors not typically seen in agency and peer recruited research. They provided useful feedback about how harm reduction strategies among injectors can be improved. However, they also reported higher rates of injecting and sharing than previously found in traditionally recruited samples of injectors which suggests there is no room for complacency regarding the potential for BBVI transmission in this group
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-206342017-09-13T13:48:14Z Citizens who inject drugs: the 'Fitpack' study Lenton, Simon Kerry, K. Tan-Quigley, A. Greig, R. drug - injecting - needles - needle exchange - pharmacy - health aspects - legal aspects - social aspects - harm reduction - policy - public attitudes - advocacy - HIV - AIDS - dependence - crime - deviance - normalisation - stigma Most injecting drug users have never been in drug treatment yet much research is done on samples with high treatment rates drawn from agency and peer recruited populations. This study accessed drug injectors with little or no prior drug treatment, described their characteristics, BBVI risk behaviours and feedback on services. Its results challenge some stereotypes about citizens who inject drugs. A sample of 511 'hidden' drug injectors, of whom only 28.7% had any specialist drug treatment agency contact, completed a questionnaire which was distributed with 'Fitpack' needle packs sold through community pharmacies in WA. The mean age of respondents was 26.2 years, 43.4% were women, 44.3% were living with their sexual partner, 41.7% were parents, and 46.4% were employed, mostly in full time work. In the previous month 61.2% had injected less frequently than daily. The study accessed a diverse group of drug injectors not typically seen in agency and peer recruited research. They provided useful feedback about how harm reduction strategies among injectors can be improved. However, they also reported higher rates of injecting and sharing than previously found in traditionally recruited samples of injectors which suggests there is no room for complacency regarding the potential for BBVI transmission in this group 2000 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/20634 10.1016/S0955-3959(00)00061-X fulltext
spellingShingle drug - injecting - needles - needle exchange - pharmacy - health aspects - legal aspects - social aspects - harm reduction - policy - public attitudes - advocacy - HIV - AIDS - dependence - crime - deviance - normalisation - stigma
Lenton, Simon
Kerry, K.
Tan-Quigley, A.
Greig, R.
Citizens who inject drugs: the 'Fitpack' study
title Citizens who inject drugs: the 'Fitpack' study
title_full Citizens who inject drugs: the 'Fitpack' study
title_fullStr Citizens who inject drugs: the 'Fitpack' study
title_full_unstemmed Citizens who inject drugs: the 'Fitpack' study
title_short Citizens who inject drugs: the 'Fitpack' study
title_sort citizens who inject drugs: the 'fitpack' study
topic drug - injecting - needles - needle exchange - pharmacy - health aspects - legal aspects - social aspects - harm reduction - policy - public attitudes - advocacy - HIV - AIDS - dependence - crime - deviance - normalisation - stigma
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/20634