A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION INTO AN HIV OUTBREAK AMONG INJECTION-DRUGUSERS IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH-COLUMBIA

The proportion of injection drug users (IDUs) testing positive for Hum an Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) in British Columbia has increased fro m 3 to 7% since January 1993 (Patrick et ar., 1997). We conducted a qu alitative study as a first step in a case control investigation aimed at identifying risk factors associated with HN seroconversion. Sixteen subjects participated in in-depth interviews which were transcribed a nd analysed wing grounded theory methods. Three dominant themes emerge d: Addiction, Prevention, and Social Determinants. The results suggest that prevention efforts such as the availability of clean needles and condoms ave not adequate to combat the complex social determinants of addiction-be they causal or consequential-which in turn contribute to unsafe injection practices.