This proposal seeks to study three critical areas of research related to HIV risk among drug injectors and to implement and test an intervention model that effectively addresses these risks. These interconnected research interests are: drug injecting networks, syringe hygiene, and indirect injection related behaviors. Recent research suggests that current efforts aimed at reducing HIV risks among drug injectors may be insufficient. Virological data and ethnographic research indicate the syringe disinfecting techniques employed by many injectors are flawed, and that a number of practices associated with drug preparation facilitate HIV transmission. Although some research has been conducted on these indirect injection related risks, these practices remain misunderstood and under-reported. Finally, most intervention efforts have focused on changing individual behavior despite the fact that the behaviors that place the individual at risk are socially embedded. Relationships between injectors and between injectors and others have not been adequately studied. Because these links represent potential routes of HIV transmission, this proposal will examine these networks and implement a participatory network-focused intervention aimed at reducing HIV risk related behaviors.
Specific aims i nclude: 1) developing a knowledge base of injection-related HIV risk behaviors; 2) understanding the context and process of risk among injection networks; 3) and testing a group focused network intervention model against an individual-focused network intervention model for the reduction of HIV risk related behaviors. This study will employ both quantitative and qualitative methods to meet our specific aims.
| Koester, Stephen; Glanz, Jason; Baron, Anna (2005) Drug sharing among heroin networks: implications for HIV and hepatitis B and C prevention. AIDS Behav 9:27-39 |
| Koester, Stephen K; Bush, Trevor W; Lewis, Beth A (2002) Limited access to syringes for injection drug users in pharmacies in Denver, Colorado. J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash) 42:S88-91 |
| Blankenship, Kim M; Koester, Stephen (2002) Criminal law, policing policy, and HIV risk in female street sex workers and injection drug users. J Law Med Ethics 30:548-59 |
| Koester, S (1998) Following the blood: syringe reuse leads to blood-borne virus transmission among injection drug users. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol 18 Suppl 1:S139-40 |
