From: Profiles of risk: a qualitative study of injecting drug users in Tehran, Iran
 | Private, stable injectors | Unstable injectors | |
---|---|---|---|
Primary districts representing the profile | A | S, B | V, O |
Relative size †| Majority | minority | minority |
Stability continuum | Unstable -------------------------------------------------------- Stable | ||
Distinguishing characteristics | Predominantly male, live at home with family, stable resources (shelter, food, income from family), | Predominantly young males, live at home with family but inject in public places or 'secure houses', limited resources (unemployed, dependent on family/ friends, some criminal involvement), shared injections for economic and emotional support, prevention of overdose | Predominantly young males, live and inject in public places, poor health & hygiene, very limited/no resources (unemployed, criminal involvement common), multiple social problems (divorce, poverty, familial conflict); the most extreme of this group were the 'end-stage users' |
HIV & injecting risk continuum | Higher risk ---------------------------------------------------- Lower risk | ||
Syringe use practices: hygiene and injecting customs | Boiling, direct heating of point | Licking point, rinsing with water, flushing with boiling water, wiping with cloth or paper; repeated reuse of syringes; injecting practices involving repeated injection of blood ("blood play") | Licking point, rinsing with water, wiping with cloth or paper, or none; repeated reuse of syringes; injecting practices involving repeated injection of blood ("blood play"); often inject alone |
Syringe use practices: sharing behaviors | Few syringe sharing occasions; frequent other equipment sharing | Many sharing occasions; sharing of other equipment typical | Primarily syringe sharing occasions; primarily sharing of other equipment |
Access to harm reduction materials #38; risk awareness | access to pharmacy-sold syringes | limited access to pharmacy-sold syringes; aware of HIV and injecting risks but continue to share | limited access to pharmacy-sold syringes and lack of awareness of risk drives sharing behaviors |