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01-08-2010 | Original Paper

Drug and HIV-Related Risk Behaviors After Geographic Migration Among a Cohort of Injection Drug Users

Authors: Beth S. Rachlis, Evan Wood, Kathy Li, Robert S. Hogg, Thomas Kerr

Published in: AIDS and Behavior | Issue 4/2010

Abstract

To determine whether migration impacted on drug use and HIV-related risk behaviors among injection drug users (IDU), we identified participants in a prospective cohort of IDU (Vancouver Injection Drug User Study) who had reported migrating out of Greater Vancouver between May 1996 and November 2005. We compared risk behaviors before and after a move for individuals who migrated (movers) and for a similar period for non-movers using linear growth curve analyses. In total, 1,122 individuals were included, including 430 (38.3%) women and 331 (29.5%) Aboriginal participants. Among these, 192 (17.1%) individuals reported migrating out of Greater Vancouver between 1996 and 2005 while 930 (82.9%) did not. Movers were significantly younger than non-movers: 32.0 (Interquartile Range [IQR]: 24.3–39.2) and 34.6 (IQR: 26.9–40.8) respectively. A significant decrease in those reporting unstable housing, frequent heroin and cocaine injection occurred only in movers. Our findings suggest that, in this setting, risk-taking among IDU declines following periods of migration out of Greater Vancouver.

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Title: Drug and HIV-Related Risk Behaviors After Geographic Migration Among a Cohort of Injection Drug Users
Authors: Beth S. Rachlis
Evan Wood
Kathy Li
Robert S. Hogg
Thomas Kerr
Publication date: 01-08-2010
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: AIDS and Behavior / Issue 4/2010
Print ISSN: 1090-7165
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3254
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9397-x

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