 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Stephen E. Lankenau, PhD and Michael C. Clatts, PhD. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th St., Suite 1040, New York, NY 10032, 212-305-5736, sl2056@columbia.edu
Background: The intravenous injection of crack cocaine is an emerging practice in cities across the United States. While previous research has focused on a user's rationale to inject crack, no study has examined a user's first injection of crack to understand the range of factors influencing initiation into crack injection, or HIV risk behaviors during initiation. Methods: Crack injectors (N=60) were interviewed in two cities - New York and Bridgeport, CT. Using an ethnographic interview protocol, users were asked detailed questions about injection practices, circumstances, and rationale surrounding their first injection of crack cocaine. Findings: Crack injection initiation often occurred later in a drug user's injection career. Nearly all of the subjects initiated injection drug use with a drug other than crack - heroin being the most common - and most were current opiate users (including methadone). Common reasons for initiating crack injection included: desiring to experiment with a new drug; obtaining powder cocaine was difficult; acquiring crack cocaine was cheaper; or not wanting to smoke crack. Typically, the first injection of crack was unplanned, an injection partner prepared the crack for injection, and the injection preceded or followed additional drug use, such as shooting heroin or smoking crack. Minimal injection paraphernalia sharing was reported during initiation into crack injection. Conclusion: Drug treatment providers and researchers should ask crack users about mode of administration since smoking is generally assumed. Without more detailed inquiries into the mode of administrating crack, crack injectors are likely to remain a hidden population of injection drug users.
Learning Objectives: Attendees at this session will be able to
Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, Intravenous Drug Use
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.