Faculty Bibliography

Although the vast majority of injection drug users (IDUs) attending syringe exchange programs in New York City have stopped risky injection (injecting with syringes used by someone else), there remains a subgroup of IDUs who continue to engage in high-risk injecting behaviors despite access to sterile syringes. Subjects were randomly recruited from five legally authorized syringe exchange programs in New York City between October 1992 and August 1994. Participants were asked about drug and sexual risk behavior 30 days prior to their first use of the syringe exchange as well as during the 30-day period prior to the interview while using the exchange. Of the 2,465 participants, 77.4% reported no risky injection during the 30 days prior to using syringes exchange. For this analysis we included only those who reported risky injection for the 30-day period prior to using syringe exchange (N = 556). We compared sociodemographics and behavioral characteristics of a group who continued risky injection while using the syringe exchange, "continuers," N = 158 (28.8%) with a group who reported risky injection prior to using the exchange and then ceased risky injection while using the exchange, "stoppers," N = 391(71.2%). Continuers were significantly more likely to report passing on dirty syringes to social network members and to inject cocaine at least daily. We present other predictors of continued risk and discuss the implications for interventions and make recommendations for syringe exchange programs.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:This study examined whether networks of drug-injecting and sexual relationships among drug injectors are associated with individual human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serostatus and with behavioral likelihood of future infection. METHODS:A cross-sectional survey of 767 drug injectors in New York City was performed with chain-referral and linking procedures to measure large-scale (sociometric) risk networks. Graph-theoretic algebraic techniques were used to detect 92 connected components (drug injectors linked to each other directly or through others) and a 105-member 2-core within a large connected component of 230 members. RESULTS:Drug injectors in the 2-core of the large component were more likely than others to be infected with HIV. Seronegative 2-core members engaged in a wide range of high-risk behaviors, including engaging in risk behaviors with infected drug injectors. CONCLUSIONS:Sociometric risk networks seem to be pathways along which HIV travels in drug-injecting peer groups. The cores of large components can be centers of high-risk behaviors and can become pockets of HIV infection. Preventing HIV from reaching the cores of large components may be crucial in preventing widespread HIV epidemics.