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Syringe Sharing Among a Prospective Cohort of Street-Involved Youth: Implications for Needle Distribution Programs
Nikki Bozinoff1,2, Evan Wood2,3, Huiru Dong2
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada.
AIDS and Behavior
|April 15, 2017
Summary
Street-involved youth often borrow or lend syringes, increasing Hepatitis C and HIV risks. Difficulty accessing clean needles and homelessness are key factors driving this risky behavior among young people.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Syringe sharing is a significant risk factor for Hepatitis C and HIV transmission.
- Street-involved youth represent a vulnerable population with unique challenges in accessing harm reduction services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the prevalence and associated factors of syringe borrowing and lending among street-involved youth in Vancouver.
- To identify gaps in clean needle access and inform service delivery improvements for young people.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal prospective cohort study (At-Risk Youth Study) was conducted from September 2005 to May 2014.
- Data from 505 street-involved youth (aged 14-26 at enrollment) were analyzed using generalized estimating equations.
Main Results:
- 28.1% of participants reported syringe borrowing and 26.1% reported syringe lending.
- Difficulty finding clean needles (AOR=2.28 for borrowing, AOR=1.89 for lending) and homelessness (AOR=1.52 for borrowing, AOR=1.65 for lending) were significantly associated with both behaviors.
- All associations were statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Significant proportions of young, street-involved individuals engage in syringe sharing, indicating critical gaps in accessible sterile injection equipment.
- Homelessness and challenges in obtaining clean needles are major drivers of syringe borrowing and lending in this population.
- Current service delivery models may be insufficient, necessitating enhanced needle distribution strategies tailored to the needs of young injectors.
