Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116153

Yan Hong, MA, Department of Health Policy & Management, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, #750, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-467-1987, yhong@jhsph.edu, James Peterson, EdD, Department of Health Policy and Management / Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 1629 E. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21231, Karin E. Tobin, MHS, Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 1629 East Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21231, and Carl A. Latkin, PhD, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Room 737, Baltimore, MD 21205.

Background: Literature about injection drug users (IDUs) suggests IDUs often share cookers and/or use contaminated needles to prepare and split drugs for “fairness” and “even share”, which poses big risks of HIV and HCV transmission. “Normject”, a new drug-splitting method, was introduced to IDUs in a HIV-prevention intervention in Baltimore City. Normject is a clean needleless syringe with cc markers, used only to draw up water and measure drugs, can equally and safely split drugs. This study examines the attitudes and diffusion of innovation of Normject, and explores the potential of disseminating this new harm reduction approach among IDUs.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered among a sample of 374 IDUs, who were recruited through targeted community outreach for an intervention.

Results: About 40 (11%) IDUs ever used Normject, they reported using it in their own places (50%), shooting galleries (12.5%), and abandoned buildings (10%). Their friends (50%), family members (20%), drug buddies (12.5%) and intervention programs (7.5%) introduced Nomject to them. Those who ever seen (but not used) Normject (n=65, 17%) reported similar location patterns and user profiles. Others cited different reasons for not using Normject, including never seen or didn't know how to use it (35%), looked odd (10%), cannot split fair (15%), and took too much time (10%).

Conclusions: Although current acceptance of Normject remained low among IDUs, it was mainly due to unawareness or misunderstanding. Its current diffusion pattern indicates that Normject could be introduced and disseminated among more IDUs through peer outreach in targeted locations.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand what is “Normject” and its relationship to harm reduction and HIV prevention among IDUs.
• Examine the current attitudes diffusion routes of Normject.
• Explore the potential of disseminating this new drug splitting method among IDUs.

Keywords: Injection Drug Users, HIV Interventions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.