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Needle-cleaning practices among intravenous drug users who share injection equipment in Baltimore, Maryland
C A Latkin1, D Vlahov, J C Anthony
1Department of Mental Hygiene, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
Abstract:
In Baltimore, Maryland, between 1988 and 1989, 2,921 intravenous drug users were recruited into a study of drug injection practices and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Sixty-three percent reported both current use and sharing of needles; almost all these (N = 1,757) reported using injection equipment immediately after it was used by another intravenous drug user. Of the 1,757, 62% said that they "typically" cleaned the used equipment with bleach or alcohol before injecting. These data suggest that information about disinfecting needles has disseminated into this population and identifies several groups to target for interventions.