Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114237

Jennifer Jackson Bloom, MPH¹, Stephen E. Lankenau, PhD², Bill Sanders, PhD¹, and Susan Hathazi, BS¹. (1) Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, 6430 Sunset Blvd., Suite 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90028, 323-660-2450, jejackson@chla.usc.edu, (2) Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), 6430 Sunset Blvd., Suite 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Injection drug use is a significant risk factor for exposure to HIV, Hepatitis C and other blood borne pathogens. Many studies of injection drug users (IDUs) have focused on habitual users, but little attempt has been made to explore the range of drug use trajectories, from infrequent or occasional injectors to habitual injectors. Using data from a study of young (16-28 years old) Ketamine injectors in New York, New Orleans and Los Angeles (total N=150), which includes infrequent, intermittent casual, and habitual IDUs, this presentation will describe the range of injection drug use trajectories, from initiation, to the acceleration into increasing use and dependence, to cessation. The presentation will also describe the unique risks of blood borne pathogen infection associated with early stages of injection drug use, when IDUs are dependant on peers and street knowledge for information on safe injecting practices and often have little contact with needle exchanges or other harm reduction programs. Finally, data will be presented about the deceleration and cessation of injection behaviors, including common themes among IDUs who have stopped injecting.

Learning Objectives: Attendees of this presentation will be able to

• Describe a range of possible injection drug use trajectories.
• Understand how the early stages of injection drug use carry a high risk of unsafe injection and exposure to blood borne pathogens for both casual and habitual IDUs.
• Identify common themes associated with cessation of injection drug use.

Keywords: Injecting Drug Use, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.