Bridge to Services: Drug Injectors' Awareness and Utilization of Drug User Treatment and Social Service Referrals, Medical Care, and Hiv Testing Provided by Needle Exchange Programs

Abstract

Using qualitative interviews conducted in 1999, we examine awareness and use of drug user treatment and social service referrals, medical care, and HIV testing provided by needle exchange programs (NEPs) among injectors who use NEPs (N=26) and injectors who get their syringes from other sources (N=20). A four-category typology of NEP service knowledge and use emerges from these interviews: "Active involvement--use of services; "Stepping stone"--no use of services but knowledge that specific services are available; "Vague awareness"--nonspecific knowledge of service availability: and "Unaware:--no awareness of the service provision function of NEPs. We describe patterns of distribution of respondents among these categories and suggest policy implications.

‘Safer environment interventions’: A qualitative synthesis of the experiences and perceptions of people who inject drugs

“…Participants in every study were highly marginalized, and in particular disproportionately affected by poverty and homelessness, and challenges to meeting everyday survival needs were common. Participants expressed that SEIs mediated access to ancillary services (e.g., food and shelter) and fostered access to broader health and social supports (MacNeil & Pauly, 2011; Parker et al, 2012; Porter et al, 2002; Power et al, 2005; Sherman et al, 2008; Small et al, 2009; Small et al, 2008). Participants articulated how access to support through these interventions was highly influenced by geographical considerations.…”

“…In the broadest sense, trust between participants and programme staff was seen as important to fostering access to SEIs and ancillary services. Trust was perceived to be an outcome of the non-judgmental, supportive approaches taken by these interventions (Krusi et al, 2009; MacNeil & Pauly, 2011; Porter et al, 2002; Small et al, 2009; Small et al, 2008). SEIs were frequently staffed by health professionals and integrated, to varying degrees, into the health and social care system.…”

Patterns and Determinants of Inappropriate Antibiotic Use in Injection Drug Users

“…For example, it is plausible that syringe exchange users may be more proactive about their health and/or may have better access to medical care than injection drug users who do not utilize syringe exchanges. 39 Another limitation is the low rate of focus group attendance among individuals recruited, especially among women. Therefore, we do not know if the findings are generalizable to all injection drug users or to injection drug users in other geographic areas.…”

Continuing HIV Risk in New York City Injection Drug Users: The Association of Syringe Source and Syringe Sharing

“…Second, sterile syringe sources, particularly SEPs, reduce risk through structured or informal interventions to effect positive behavioral change (Kellerman, Drake, Lansky, & Klevens, 2006; Porter, Metzger, & Scotti, 2002). Obtaining syringes from SEPs is frequently supplemented with education in safer injection and other risk reduction practices and with referrals for support services that prevent risk (Coyle, Needle, & Normand, 1998; Metzger & Navaline, 2003).…”