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Safe Syringe Disposal is Related to Safe Syringe Access among HIV-positive Injection Drug Users

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Abstract

We evaluated the effect of syringe acquisition on syringe disposal among HIV-positive injection drug users (IDUs) in Baltimore, New York City, and San Francisco (N = 680; mean age 42 years, 62% male, 59% African-American, 21% Hispanic, 12% White). Independent predictors of safe disposal were acquiring syringes through a safe source and ever visiting a syringe exchange program. Weaker predictors included living in San Francisco, living in the area longer, less frequent binge drinking, injecting with an HIV+ partner, peer norms supporting safe injection, and self-empowerment. Independent predictors of safe “handling”—both acquiring and disposing of syringes safely—also included being from New York and being older. HIV-positive IDUs who obtain syringes from a safe source are more likely to safely dispose; peer norms contribute to both acquisition and disposal. Interventions to improve disposal should include expanding sites of safe syringe acquisition while enhancing disposal messages, alternatives, and convenience.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration (CDC/HRSA grant U50CCU317999). We would also like to acknowledge the following people for their contributions to this research: Susan Sherman, Roeina Marvin, Joanne Jenkins, Donny Gann, and Tonya Johnson (Baltimore); Clyde McCoy, Rob Malow, Wei Zhao, Lauren Gooden, Sam Comerford, Virginia Locascio, Curtis Delford, Laurel Hall, Henry Boza, Cheryl Riles (Miami); George Fesser, Carol Gerran, and Diane Thornton (New York); Caryn Pelegrino, Barbara Garcia, Jeff Moore, Erin Rowley, Debra Allen, Dinah Iglesia-Usog, Gilda Mendez, Paul Lum, and Greg Austin (San Francisco); Gladys Ibanez, Hae-Young Kim, Toni McWhorter, Jan Moore, Lynn Paxton, and John Williamson (CDC); and Lee Lam, Jeanne Urban, Stephan Soroka, Zilma Rey, Astrid Ortiz, Sheila Bashirian, Marjorie Hubbard, Karen Tao, Bharat Parekh, Thomas Spira (CDC Laboratory).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Ave, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Phillip O. Coffin, Mary H. Latka & Yingfeng Wu

  2. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Carl Latkin

  3. National Center for HIV, STD, TB Prevention, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    David W. Purcell

  4. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Comprehensive Drug Research Center, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Lisa Metsch

  5. Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Cynthia Gomez

  6. Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Marc N. Gourevitch

Authors
  1. Phillip O. Coffin
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  2. Mary H. Latka
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  4. Yingfeng Wu
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  5. David W. Purcell
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  6. Lisa Metsch
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  7. Cynthia Gomez
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  8. Marc N. Gourevitch
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INSPIRE Study Group

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Correspondence to Phillip O. Coffin.

Additional information

The INSPIRE Study Group includes the following people. Baltimore: Carl Latkin, Amy Knowlton, Karin Tobin; Miami: Lisa Metsch, Eduardo Valverde, James Wilkinson, Martina DeVarona; New York: Mary, Latka, Dave Vlahov, Phillip Coffin, Marc Gourevitch, Julia Arnsten, Robert Gern; San Francisco: Cynthia Gomez, Kelly Knight, Carol Dawson Rose, Starley Shade, Sonja Mackenzie; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: David Purcell, Yuko Mizuno, Scott Santibanez, Richard Garfein, Ann O’Leary; Health Resources and Services Administration: Lois Eldred, Kathleen Handley.

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Coffin, P.O., Latka, M.H., Latkin, C. et al. Safe Syringe Disposal is Related to Safe Syringe Access among HIV-positive Injection Drug Users. AIDS Behav 11, 652–662 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-006-9171-x

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