Drug Injecting and Syringe Sharing in Custody and in the Community: An Exploratory Survey of HIV Risk Behaviour

Dolan, Kate; Donoghoe, Martin C.; Stimson, Gerry V.

doi:10.1111/j.1468-2311.1990.tb00679.x

Cited by 30 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…When sharing inside prison, drug injectors are less likely to have a range of needles and syringes to choose from and are likely to share with considerable numbers of people. Estimates of the number of people with whom needles and syringes were shared range from 1 to 14 [43], 1 to 40 [42], and between 5 and 100 [38]. These figures indicate the extent of risk that drug injectors face when sharing needles and syringes inside prison.…”

Section: Effectiveness Of Cleaningmentioning

confidence: 92%

Drug Injectors and the Cleaning of Needles and Syringes

2000

Eur Addict Res

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When people share needles and syringes they risk transmitting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other infections including hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Cleaning needles and syringes can help to reduce, although not eliminate, these risks. This article begins by engaging with some of the literature on the cleaning of needles and syringes. Drawing on qualitative research conducted with drug injectors in England, the article then goes on to explore drug injectors’ perceptions and experiences of cleaning needles and syringes inside and outside prison. The article concludes by highlighting the implications for future research and policy making. Ultimately there should be a stronger policy response to reduce the risks associated with sharing needles and syringes inside prison, which should include the piloting of prison needle and syringe exchange schemes.

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Section: Effectiveness Of Cleaningmentioning

confidence: 92%

Drug Injectors and the Cleaning of Needles and Syringes

2000

Eur Addict Res

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“…Incarceration in prison presents a high-risk environment for the sharing of injecting equipment among drug users, with the concomitant risk of contracting infectious diseases. Various studies have indicated that a significant minority of injecting drug users engage in high-risk injecting behaviours while in prison [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Considerable attention has been paid to the role of prisons in the continuation of injecting risk behaviour, and has led to the suggestion that prison is an environment that predisposes the transmission of HIV-1 infection [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Just using old works”: injecting risk behaviour in prison

Turnbull

Power

Stimson

1996

Drug and Alcohol Review

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A minority of injecting drug users engage in high risk injecting behaviours when in prison. In the United Kingdom between a quarter and a third of injectors who enter prison inject when in prison, and of these about three-quarters share needles and syringes. In the present study, 44 drug injectors who had been released from prison for no longer than 6 months were recruited and interviewed in three geographical areas in England. Interviewees were asked to recount their experiences of drug use during their most recent period of imprisonment. The majority of interviewees were male (38/44), had a mean age of 28 years, with a mean age of 16 years at first drug use, were primarily opiate users (39) and had multiple imprisonments. All respondents reported drug use when imprisoned and drug injecting was reported by 16 interviewees. Most injected at irregular intervals and at a reduced level, compared with injecting when in the community. Nine reported using needles and syringes that others had previously used. When considering other injecting equipment, more sharing occurred than was actually reported. Much re-use of equipment was viewed simply as "using old works". The sharing of "cookers" and "filters", and drug sharing by "backloading" and "frontloading" were common. The concept of "sharing" tended to be understood by respondents as related to the use of tools of injection (needles and syringes rather than other equipment); the use of tools in the act of injection (rather than for mixing drugs); proximity (multiple use of needles and syringes in the presence of others); temporality (shorter time elapse between consecutive use of needles and syringes previously used by another) and source (hired rather than borrowed or bought). We conclude that syringe sharing is an integral part of drug use and drug injecting in prison. Many of those interviewed displayed a restricted understanding of what denotes syringe sharing. Our data reinforce the need for interventions and initiatives to be developed within prisons to deal with the considerable risk posed by continued injecting drug use.

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“…Among new prison entrants with a history of injecting drug use, hepatitis C prevalence is approximately 60% 12 . Studies have documented drug injection by inmates with HCV 13 and HIV 14 . Furthermore, outbreaks of hepatitis C and HIV in prisons have been attributed to injecting drug use 15–17 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Presence of hepatitis C virus in syringes confiscated in prisons in Australia

Dolan

Larney

Jacka

et al. 2009

J of Gastro and Hepatol

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Background and Aims: Needlestick injuries are an occupational hazard for prison officers. This study aimed to assess the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in syringes found in prisons. Methods: Sixty-nine syringes found in prisons were tested for HCV RNA using previously published methods. Results: Three syringes tested positive for HCV RNA. Conclusion: Compared to the prevalence of HCV among injecting drug users in prisons, few syringes were found to contain HCV RNA. It is likely that conditions under which syringes are kept in prisons are not favorable for survival of detectable HCV RNA. Further work is needed to establish the risk of HCV transmission posed by needlestick injuries in prison settings.

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Drug Injecting and Syringe Sharing in Custody and in the Community: An Exploratory Survey of HIV Risk Behaviour

Cited by 30 publications

References 8 publications

Drug Injectors and the Cleaning of Needles and Syringes

Drug Injectors and the Cleaning of Needles and Syringes

“Just using old works”: injecting risk behaviour in prison

Presence of hepatitis C virus in syringes confiscated in prisons in Australia

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