TUBERCULOSIS KNOWLEDGE AMONG NEW-YORK-CITY INJECTION-DRUG USERS

Structured interviews measuring tuberculosis knowledge were administer ed to 494 New York City injection drug users, 31% of whom reported a h istory of having a reactive tuberculin skin test. Medical records revi ew of a subsample confirmed the validity of self-reported data. Most r espondents understood the mechanisms of tuberculosis transmission. Thr ee fourths of the subjects did not fully understand the distinction be tween a reactive skin test and active tuberculosis, but those who repo rted a history of skin test reactivity were twice as likely to underst and this distinction. Forty percent of subjects did not understand the importance of medication adherence. Misunderstandings, based on a rec ent lack of tuberculosis education, may contribute to the fear and con fusion that interfere with efforts to control tuberculosis.