Injecting drug use is a growing problem in Africa and a growing risk factor for contracting HIV in the region. It is imperative that HIV research includes injecting drug users so that they too are able to benefit from safe and effective behavioural interventions and biomedical HIV prevention and treatment products. This article relates a critical review of the findings of a desk review of previ...

Risk of blood borne virus among injecting drug users is high and is a significant challenge for public health efforts. Mindlessness/mindfulness theory provides an alternative lens through which to understand social phenomena. Interview transcripts of 32 current and former injectors were explored for evidence of mindless injecting (or automatic behaviour). Mindlessness in injecting practices can...

To ensure all drug users can benefit from TB and HIV prevention, treatment support and care — including those in prison — WHO, UNAIDS and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have developed Policy guidelines for collaborative TB and HIV services for injecting and other drug users an integrated approach. The measures* aim to break down the barriers that stand in the way of better health, outline key...

Injecting drug use is strongly associated with severe health problems in drug users, including blood-borne infections (e.g. HIV/AIDS, hepatitis) and overdose. According to the annual report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), published on 10 November, the latest data from treatment monitoring are encouraging, showing a stable to downward trend in drug inject...

This article describes a sampling and estimation scheme for estimating the size of an injecting drug user (IDU) population by combining classical sampling and respondent-driven sampling procedures. It is designed to use the information from prevention programs, especially, Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs). The approach involves using respondent-driven sampling design to collect a sample of injec...

OBJECTIVE To describe perceptions, experiences, knowledge, beliefs and the willingness of injecting drug users to be HIV tested by using rapid tests. METHODS A qualitative exploratory study was carried out among injecting drug users from December 2003 to February 2004 in five Brazilian cities, located in four regions of Brazil. A semi-structured interview guide containing both closed and open...