M. Bloor et al., TIDELINE AND TURN - POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE CONTINUING LOW HIV PREVALENCE AMONG GLASGOW INJECTING DRUG-USERS, Sociological review, 42(4), 1994, pp. 738-757
This is an early report of data from an on-going, repeated, cross-sect
ional study of a community sample of Glasgow injecting drug users. Alt
hough HIV was first detected among Glasgow's drug injectors in 1985, d
ata from the first two years of our annual samples (1990 and 1991) ind
icate that HIV prevalence continues to be low in this population, in t
he order of 1 or 2 per cent. Possible reasons for this apparent contin
uing low prevalence are examined. It is suggested that substantial ris
k reduction - reductions in injection equipment-sharing, reductions in
numbers of sharing partners and restrictions in social circles of sha
ring partners - may have been sufficient reasons, in conjunction with
limited contributions to near-stabilisation from the disproportionate
attrition of the numerator population through death and cessation of i
njecting.