Table 1 Characteristics of people who inject drugs in study sample (n = 33)
n (%)* | |
|---|---|
Socio-demographics | |
City | |
Boston | 16 (48) |
Providence | 17 (52) |
Age in years; median (interquartile range; IQR) | 36 (32–48) |
Race (categories are not mutually exclusive) | |
American Indian or Alaska Native | 3 (9) |
Black or African American | 7 (21) |
White | 22 (67) |
Other | 5 (15) |
Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino | 8 (24) |
Gender | |
Male | 18 (55) |
Female | 13 (39) |
Transgender | 1 (3) |
Genderqueer | 1 (3) |
Sexual orientation | |
Heterosexual or “Straight” | 21 (64) |
Bisexual | 8 (24) |
Homosexual or gay | 4 (12) |
Educational attainment | |
Less than high school | 9 (27) |
High school or GED | 13 (39) |
Some college | 11 (33) |
Employment status: unemployed | 23 (70) |
Health insurance: has public health insurance | 32 (97) |
Sexual health and behaviors | |
HIV testing, past year (n = 32) | 30 (93) |
STI testing, past year | 24 (73) |
Diagnosed with HCV, ever | 26 (79) |
Time since HCV diagnosis in years; median (interquartile range; IQR) | 5 (1.5–9) |
Number of sex partners, past 3 months | |
0 | 6 (18) |
1 | 12 (36) |
2+ | 17 (45) |
Condom use, past 3 months (vaginal or anal sex; n = 27 with ≥ 1 sex partner) | |
Never/rarely | 12 (45) |
Sometimes/usually | 10 (37) |
Always | 5 (19) |
Substance use behaviors | |
Frequency of drug injection, past 3 months | |
Less than once a month | 2 (6) |
1 to 3 days a month | 2 (6) |
Once a week | 1 (3) |
2 to 6 days a week | 8 (24) |
Once a day everyday | 3 (9) |
2+ times a day everyday | 17 (51) |
Drugs injected, past 3 months (not mutually exclusive) | |
Heroin | 31 (94) |
Prescription opioids | 3 (9) |
Methadone | 1 (3) |
Cocaine | 23 (70) |
Crack | 13 (39) |
Crystal methamphetamine | 11 (33) |
Cocaine/heroin combination (“Speedball”) | 12 (36) |
Current syringe access (not mutually exclusive) | |
Needle syringe program (NSP) | 27 (82) |
Pharmacy | 10 (30) |
Other people | 5 (15) |
Any distributive syringe sharing, past month (n = 32) | 15 (47) |
Any receptive syringe sharing, past month | 19 (57) |
Any distributive or receptive syringe sharing, past month | 21 (64) |
Any shared injection paraphernalia (cookers, cottons, rinse water), past month | 21 (64) |
PrEP knowledge and experience | |
Had heard of PrEP prior to study | 12 (36) |
Had taken PrEP prior to study | 1 (3) |
Perceived change in risk behaviors if taking PrEP in future (n = 32) | |
Yes: increase | 5 (16) |
Yes: decrease | 7 (22) |
No change | 20 (63) |
Likelihood of using PrEP in future | |
Extremely unlikely | 0 (0) |
Unlikely | 3 (9) |
Undecided | 13 (39) |
Likely | 10 (30) |
Extremely likely | 7 (21) |