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Changes in the Prevalence of Injection Drug Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Large U.S. Metropolitan Areas

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Abstract

Young injection drug users (IDUs) are at risk for acquiring blood-borne diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C. Little is known about the population prevalence of young IDUs. We (1) estimate annual population prevalence rates of young IDUs (aged 15–29) per 10,000 in 95 large U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) from 1992 to 2002; (2) assess the validity of these estimates; and (3) explore whether injection drug use among youth in these MSAs began to rise after HAART was discovered. A linear mixed model (LMM) estimated the annual population prevalence of young IDUs in each MSA and described trends therein. The population prevalence of IDUs among youths across 95 MSAs increased from 1996 (mean = 95.64) to 2002 (mean = 115.59). Additional analyses of the proportion of young IDUs using health services suggest this increase may have continued after 2002. Harm reduction and prevention research and programs for young IDUs are needed.

Resumen

Jóvenes usuarios de drogas inyectables (UDI) están en riesgo de adquirir enfermedades de transmisión sanguínea como el VIH y la hepatitis C. Poco se sabe sobre la prevalencia de la población de jóvenes usuarios de drogas inyectables. Nosotros (1) estimamos las tasas anuales de prevalencia en la población de UDI jóvenes (de 15 a 29) por 10.000 en 95 grandes áreas metropolitanas de EE.UU. estadística (MSA) de 1992 a 2002; (2) evaluar la validez de estas estimaciones, y explorar (3) si el uso de drogas inyectables entre los jóvenes en estas zonas metropolitanas comenzaron a subir después de TARGA fue descubierto. Un modelo lineal mixto (LMM) estimó la prevalencia anual de la población de jóvenes que cada zona metropolitana y se describe su evolución. La prevalencia en la población de usuarios de drogas inyectables entre los jóvenes a través de 95 zonas metropolitanas aumentó de 1996 (media = 95,64) y 2002 (media = 115.59). Análisis adicionales de la proporción de consumidores por vía parenteral jóvenes que utilizan los servicios de salud sugieren que este aumento puede haber continuado después de 2002. La reducción del daño y de investigación y programas de prevención para los CDI son necesarios.

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Notes

  1. For each data series, cells were defined by year and MSA; 11 years × 95 MSAs = 1,045 cells.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Institute of Drug Abuse grant # R01 DA13336. We would like to thank the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, specifically, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention and the Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases for providing data from the HIV counseling and testing databases. We acknowledge the gracious assistance of Dr. Amy Lansky, Dr. John Beltrami, and Nancy Habarta.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd Street, New York, NY, 10010, USA

    Sudip Chatterjee, Barbara Tempalski, Enrique R. Pouget & Samuel R. Friedman

  2. Behavioral Science & Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Hannah L. F. Cooper

  3. College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Charles M. Cleland

  4. Department of Epidemiology, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Samuel R. Friedman

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  1. Sudip Chatterjee
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  4. Hannah L. F. Cooper
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Correspondence to Samuel R. Friedman.

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Chatterjee, S., Tempalski, B., Pouget, E.R. et al. Changes in the Prevalence of Injection Drug Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Large U.S. Metropolitan Areas. AIDS Behav 15, 1570–1578 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-9992-0

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