Risk behaviours of young Indo-Chinese injecting drug users in Sydney and Melbourne

Objective: To investigate patterns of drug use and injection-related risk b ehaviours among young Indo-Chinese injecting drug users (IDUs). Method: Cross-sectional survey. A structured questionnaire was administered to 184 Indo-Chinese IDUs aged 15 to 24 in Sydney and Melbourne. Participan ts were recruited using snowball sampling techniques; measures included pat terns of heroin and other drug use, injection-related risk behaviours, perc eived susceptibility to HIV and HCV infection and access to services. Results: Despite perceived high availability of sterile injecting equipment . 36% had ever shared a needle and syringe and 22% had done so in the prece ding month. Lifetime sharing was significantly associated with duration of injecting, history of incarceration and residence in Sydney. Sharing of inj ecting paraphernalia other than needles and syringes was also common, with young women and Sydney residents significantly more likely to report sharin g equipment in the preceding month. Conclusions: Young Indo-Chinese IDUs are at high risk of infection with hep atitis C and other blood-borne viruses. Results indicate an urgent need for culturally appropriate and sustainable risk reduction programs which speci fically target this population. Implications: Health services must respond swiftly to implement effective b lood-borne virus prevention programs for young Indo-Chinese IDUs. Failure t o do so may sustain the current epidemic of hepatitis C among IDUs.