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

Abstract #118060

Veronica M. Frajzyngier, MPH¹, Alan Neaigus, PhD¹, V. Anna Gyarmathy, PhD¹, and Maureen Miller, PhD². (1) Institute for International Research on Youth at Risk, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 392 6th St., Brooklyn, NY 11215, 212.845.4592, vfrajzyngier@hotmail.com, (2) Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, Room 1210, New York City, NY 10032

Objectives: To examine gender differences in drug injecting equipment sharing at injecting initiation. Methods: Injecting drug users (IDUs) aged 18-30, injecting ≤6 years, were non-treatment recruited in New York City, 2/1999-2/2003. Participants were administered structured interviews about injecting risk behaviors and networks at initiation. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) are estimated by multiple logistic regression, with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Analyses were gender-stratified. Results: Participants (n=279) were 67% male and 79% White. Mean initiation age was 19.4 years; mean years since initiating was 2.9. At initiation, 8% of women and 6% of men reported receptive syringe sharing. Women were significantly more likely than men (34% vs. 23%, p<.05) to share other drug preparation equipment (DPE) (e.g., cookers) at initiation. Among women, sharing DPE was associated with being helped to inject by a sex partner (AOR=4.1, 95%CI=1.4-12.4) and having ≥2 people present at initiation (AOR=3.7, 95%CI=1.3-10.1). Among men, sharing DPE was positively associated with being injected by an initiator (AOR=3.6, CI=1.5-8.4), and inversely associated with using a syringe from a legal source (AOR=0.28, 95%CI=0.09-0.85). Conclusions: Receptive syringe sharing at initiation was rare; however, a substantial minority shared DPE. Using legally acquired syringes was protective against sharing DPE for men only. Women initiated into injecting by IDU sex partners and those women initiated in a group setting may be more susceptible to social influence and norms that promote sharing DPE. Interventions should focus on those at risk for initiating, particularly women in injecting discordant sex partnerships, as well as IDUs (potential initiators).

Learning Objectives: By the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to

• Understand gender-specific differences in risk behavior at the first injection episode
• Identify several factors that are differentially associated with risk taking behavior at initiation among men and women.
• Incorporate this enhanced understanding into their intervention and outreach efforts.

Keywords: Injection Drug Users, 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.