New syringe acquisition and multi-person use of syringes among illegal drug users

This study reports on characteristics associated with "new" syringes by IDUs in Houston, Texas, where acquisition to sterile syringes is largely limited to pharmacy purchase.

Data were collected from street-recruited injection drug users in Houston, Texas. "New" syringe use was defined as always injecting with syringes that were obtained brand new from a pharmacy and that were always wrapped in plastic when they were purchased. Logistic regression was used to assess whether "new" syringe use affected the odds of injecting after other persons, and to assess individual characteristics associated with exclusive use of "new" syringes.

Exclusive "new" needle use significantly decreased the odds that a respondent would report injecting after someone other than a sex partner, while methamphetamine consumption significantly increased the odds. None of the African-American injectors in the sample reported "new" syringe use. Social desirability and heroin consumption increased the odds that a respondent would report "new" syringe use.

Results are consistent with previous studies showing that acquisition of new syringes reliably decreases multi-person use of syringes and may thus slow the spread of HIV.