Jcew. Willems et al., CHANGE IN DRUG-USING NETWORKS OF INJECTING DRUG-USERS DURING METHADONE TREATMENT - A PILOT-STUDY USING SNOWBALL RECRUITMENT AND INTENSIVE INTERVIEWS, Substance use & misuse, 32(11), 1997, pp. 1539-1554
This pilot study used snowball recruitment methods and intensive inter
views to assess personal drug-using networks and HIV risk behavior of
injection drug users (IDUs). Index subjects were 22 methadone maintena
nce patients reporting current drug injection who were interviewed abo
ut personal drug-using networks both current and prior to treatment en
try. The index subjects were then asked to recruit other network membe
rs to the study. Ninety-seven network members were identified and 40 i
nterviewed, including 18 not in treatment. Index IDUs reported fewer c
o-IDUs for the treatment period than the pretreatment period, suggesti
ng a reduction in risk of exposure to HIV. The combination of snowball
recruitment and intensive interview procedures constitutes a useful m
ethod for studying IDU networks.