Drug use-related stigma, safer injection norms, and hepatitis C infection among a network-based sample of young people who inject drugs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Identifying risk for hepatitis C (HCV) infection is important for understanding recent increases in HCV incidence among young people who inject drugs (PWID) in suburban and rural areas; and for refining the targeting of effective HCV preventive interventions. Much of the extant research has focused on individual health behaviors (e.g., risky drug injection behaviors) as predictors of HCV infection. The present study examines two social factors (substance use-related stigma and injection-related social norms), and the interaction between these factors, as predictors of HCV infection.

Methods

Baseline data were used from an ongoing longitudinal study of young PWID (N = 279; mean age = 30.4 years) from the Chicago suburbs and their injection risk network members. Adj

SUBMITTER: Williams LD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8041355 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature