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Table 2 Summary of risk and protective environmental factors for drug use and sexual behaviors during COVID-19 lockdown

From: How has the COVID-19 epidemic affected the risk behaviors of people who inject drugs in a city with high harm reduction service coverage in Vietnam? A qualitative investigation

Risk factors

Protective factors

Heroin injection

Social

Social

Lockdown

High awareness of injection-related HIV/HCV risks

Fear of being arrested by the police when going to buy syringes or drugs

Ease of buying syringes and needles at pharmacies, even during the lockdown

Economic

Family support

Higher price of heroin

Social norms around heroin

 

Hiding one’s drug use status

 

Policy

 

Availability of methadone treatment

 

Physical

 

Police presence in the street, curfew

 

Economic

 

Higher price of heroin

Group methamphetamine use

Social

Social

Social norms related to meth use

Hiding one’s drug use status

Physical

Economic

Having more free time

Reduced income

Effects of meth

 

Sexual behaviors

Social

Social

Fear of COVID-19 infection

High awareness of HIV risk sexual behaviors

Physical

 

Curfew, social distancing

 

Economic

 

Reduced income

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