231546 Social injustice, adaptation and HIV risk among IDUs in Tijuana, Mexico

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 8:30 AM - 8:50 AM

Robin A. Pollini, PhD MPH , School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
This presentation integrates quantitative epidemiologic and qualitative behavioral research from multiple studies in the Mexico-U.S. border city of Tijuana to construct a detailed picture of social injustices perpetrated against IDUs and associated impact on health. Purchasing and possessing sterile syringes without a prescription is legal in Mexico, but only 28% of pharmacies in high intensity injection neighborhoods will sell syringes to suspected IDUs. One third (33%) of IDUs report recent unjustified arrest for possessing sterile syringes and 52% report recent arrest for just having track marks (injection stigmata). Quantitative research findings will be applied to characterize the magnitude and effect of these social injustices on HIV risk among IDUs in Tijuana. Qualitative results will describe how IDUs adapt to the injustices perpetrated against them.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1) Describe social injustices experienced by IDUs; 2) Explain the adaptive behaviors IDUs employ in responding to these injustices, and how they contribute to HIV risk; 3) Demonstrate how qualitative and quantitative research methods can be used together to create more in-depth understandings of these injustices, their effects on health, and appropriate interventions.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been conducting research on the relationship of drug abuse, AIDS, other diseases, and health disparities on the U.S-Mexico border.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5040.0: Social epidemiology applied to understanding health disparities among injecting drug users (IDUS)