Table 2 Drug use patterns and social injecting among men who inject drugs by GBMSM status, in Melbourne, Australia, August 2016–August 2021 (N = 525)
Characteristic | Total | GBMSM | Non-GBMSM | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
N = 525 | N = 48 | N = 477 | ||
N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | ||
Drug use factors | ||||
Age of injection initiation (years), Mean (SD) | 18 (5) | 17 (3) | 18 (5) | 0.267* |
Main drug of choice | ||||
Heroina | 344 (65.5) | 28 (58.3) | 316 (66.3) | 0.022+ |
Meth/amphetamines | 90 (17.14) | 15 (31.3) | 75 (15.7) | |
Otherb | 86 (16.4) | 5 (10.4) | 81 (17.16) | |
Missing | 5 (0.95) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (1.1) | |
Drug injected most in month prior to interview | ||||
Heroinc | 268 (70.1) | 29 (60.4) | 339 (71.1) | 0.098+ |
Meth/amphetamines | 145 (27.6) | 19 (39.6) | 126 (26.4) | |
Otherd | 12 (2.3) | 0 (0.0) | 12 (2.5) | |
Missing | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
Social injecting practices | ||||
Number of social contacts who inject | ||||
Zero | 6 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (1.3) | 0.811++ |
1–20 | 149 (28.4) | 12 (25.0) | 137 (28.7) | |
21–50 | 159 (30.3) | 14 (29.2) | 145 (30.4) | |
> 50 | 200 (38.1) | 22 (45.8) | 178 (37.3) | |
Missing | 11 (2.1) | 0 (0.0) | 11 (2.3) | |
Number of people injected with in the past six months | ||||
Zero | 73 (13.9) | 7 (14.6) | 66 (13.8) | 0.963+ |
1–2 person | 145 (27.6) | 15 (31.3) | 130 (27.3) | |
3–5 people | 129 (24.6) | 11 (22.9) | 118 (24.7) | |
> 6 people | 164 (31.2) | 15 (31.3) | 149 (31.2) | |
Missing | 14 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | 14 (2.9) | |
Number of people injected with in past month | ||||
Zero | 113 (21.5) | 14 (29.2) | 99 (20.8) | 0.527+ |
1–2 person | 178 (33.9) | 14 (29.2) | 164 (34.4) | |
3–5 persons | 127 (24.2) | 10 (10.8) | 117 (24.5) | |
> 6 persons | 93 (17.7) | 10 (10.8) | 83 (17.4) | |
Missing | 14 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | 14 (2.9) | |
Provided injecting assistance in past month | ||||
No | 301 (57.3) | 29 (60.4) | 272 (57.0) | 0.477+ |
Yes | 217 (41.3) | 17 (35.4) | 200 (41.9) | |
Missing | 7 (1.3) | < 5 (< 5) | 5 (1.1) | |
Received injecting assistance in past month | ||||
No | 443 (84.4) | 40 (83.3) | 403 (84.5) | 0.772+ |
Yes | 75 (14.3) | 6 (12.5) | 69 (14.5) | |
Missing | 7 (1.3) | < 5 (< 5) | 5 (1.1) | |
Times reused another person’s needle/syringe in past month | ||||
Zero | 463 (88.2) | 42 (87.5) | 421 (88.3) | 0.531++ |
1–2 times | 36 (6.9) | 5 (10.4) | 31 (6.5) | |
3–5 times | 10 (1.9) | 0 (0.0) | 10 (2.1) | |
> 6 times | 8 (1.5) | < 5 (< 5) | 7 (1.5) | |
Missing | 8 (1.5) | 0 (0.0) | 8 (1.7) | |
Health care access | ||||
Ever accessed any drug treatment, among those who completed a baseline survey only (n = 159) | ||||
No | 27 (17.0) | < 5 (< 25) | 25 (17.6) | 0.739++ |
Yes | 132 (83.0) | 15 (88.2) | 117 (82.4) | |
Missing | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
Accessed any drug treatment in past 12 months/since last seen, among those who completed a follow-up survey (n = 366) | ||||
No | 116 (31.7) | 7 (22.6) | 109 (32.5) | 0.250+ |
Yes | 249 (68.0) | 24 (77.4) | 225 (67.2) | |
Missing | < 5 (< 5) | 0 (0.0) | < 5 (< 5) | |
Currently on any drug treatmentf | ||||
No | 268 (51) | 27 (56.3) | 241 (50.5) | 0.449+ |
Yes | 257 (49.0) | 21 (43.8) | 236 (49.5) | |
Missing | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
Main source of needle/syringes in past month | ||||
NSP | 399 (76.0) | 37 (77.1) | 362 (75.9) | 0.891+ |
Othere | 82 (15.6) | 8 (16.7) | 74 (15.5) | |
Missing | 44 (8.4) | < 5 (< 5) | 41 (8.6) | |
Access of IDU-specific primary care clinic for reasons other than NSP in past 12-months | ||||
No | 376 (71.6) | 37 (77.1) | 339 (71.1) | 0.401+ |
Yes | 147 (28.0) | 11 (22.9) | 136 (28.5) | |
Missing | < 5 (< 5) | 0 (0.0) | < 5 (< 5) | |