Practices regarding the hepatitis C virus among injection drug users: new Steribox (R) and new strategies in prevention campaigns.

HCV incidence is high among the Injection Drug Users (IDUs) in spite of syr inges availability in pharmacies and Needle Exchange Programs. Apart from s yringes sharing, suspected ways of HCV transmission are. sharing the spoon in which drug is diluted, and injecting the drug remaining in used cottons/ filters. HCV transmission may occur when HCV positive drug user prepares the equipme nt and injects a friend with bloodstained fingers. A cross-sectional study was conducted near customers buying a Steribox(R) (drug injection safe kit) . The prevalence of at-risk behaviour during the last month was: 9% of drug users injected used cottons/filters, 52% shared a spoon (among those who s hared a spoon, 24% of coinjectors used a non sterile syringe). During the s ame period, 21% have been "injected" at least once by another drug user and 32% helped another to inject Among the practices sharing a spoon with a "c oinjector" and using recovered cottons/ filters seem to be the major at-ris k behaviour. These suspected ways of transmission confirm the relevance of including a sterile spoon with a leaflet in new drug injection safe kit. (C ) 1999 Elsevier; Paris.