Practices surrounding syringe acquisition and disposal: effects of Syringe Exchange Programmes from different Brazilian regions—the AjUDE-Brasil II Project

The contribution of two Brazilian multi-center studies to the assessment of HIV and HCV infection and prevention strategies among injecting drug users: the AjUDE-Brasil I and II Projects

“…An example of the impact of SEP is a study on the sources of syringes at initiation into injecting practice and in the six months prior to the interview. More than 50% of IDUs with a longer injecting career reported having initially acquired their syringes at pharmacies, compared to 69% of syringes acquired through SEP in the six months prior to the interview 21 .…”

Characteristics of male and female injecting drug users of the AjUDE-Brasil II Project

“…Various interacting factors contribute to differences in seropositivity among the diverse regions of the country, such as migration for noninjection drugs and the influence of cocaine trafficking in border regions, mainly in the south. Continued research among SEP is fundamental for maintaining the results already obtained and reverting to the high prevalences of certain regions 41,42,43 .…”

Injecting drug users who are (un)aware of their HIV serostatus: findings from the multi-center study AjUDE-Brasil II

“…However, the proportional participation of IDUs varies substantially between regions, corresponding to some 60% of the AIDS cases reported in the South of the country 7,10,11 . IDUs play an even more relevant role in the HIV/ AIDS dynamics when considering the risk of transmission from infected IDUs to their sex partners and offspring 11 .…”

“…IDUs play an even more relevant role in the HIV/ AIDS dynamics when considering the risk of transmission from infected IDUs to their sex partners and offspring 11 . Thus, injecting drug use behaviors such as initiation of use, sharing of injecting materials, and type of drug used have contributed to the spread of HIV and maintenance of the epidemic in Brazil 12 .…”