Hostname: page-component-788cddb947-t9bwh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-08T15:57:19.935Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Association between heroin use, needle sharing and tattoos received in prison with hepatitis B and C positivity among street-recruited injecting drug users in New Mexico, USA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2002

M. C. SAMUEL ,
P. M. DOHERTY ,
M. BULTERYS  and
S. A. JENISON
M. C. SAMUEL
Affiliation:
Public Health Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, New Mexico Currently with the California Department of Health Services, STD Control Branch, Berkeley, California
P. M. DOHERTY
Affiliation:
Public Health Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, New Mexico
M. BULTERYS
Affiliation:
University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico Currently with Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
S. A. JENISON
Affiliation:
Public Health Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence and risk factors for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and HIV-1 infections among injecting drug users (IDU) in New Mexico. Serological and behavioural surveys were conducted in conjunction with street-based outreach, education and HIV counselling and testing. High rates of antibody positivity for HCV (82·2%) and HBV (61·1%), and a low rate for HIV (0·5%) were found. In multivariate analyses, both HBV and HCV infection were positively associated with increasing age, increasing years of injection and heroin use. Receipt of a tattoo in prison/jail was associated with HBV (odds ratio = 2·3, 95% confidence interval 1·4, 3·8) and HCV (OR = 3·4, 95% CI = 1·6, 7·5) infections. Prevention of bloodborne pathogens among IDUs should focus on young users, early in their drug use experience. Studies examining the relationship between tattooing and HBV and HCV infection are needed as are efforts to promote sterile tattooing, in prisons and elsewhere.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 127 , Issue 3 , December 2001 , pp. 475 - 484
Copyright
2001 Cambridge University Press