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The social world of injection drug users and the adoption of AIDS preventative practices
Abstract
Since 1984, injecting drug users have been a subculture at high risk for infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). They become infected with HIV through the sharing of infected needles and other drug equipment, and through unprotected sex. These practices are embedded in the normative behaviors of the subculture; behaviors which addicts have difficulty changing. Persons who fall victim to drug abuse share a common career that begins with the reasons they began to inject drugs and coalesces in the processes by which they maintain their addiction. The most significant aspects of this career are those that put an injection drug user in life or death situations. Their perception of risk, their risk taking, and the forces of withdrawal that lead to the taking of risk all play an important role in the transmission of HIV. Central to the career of the addict are the social agencies with which s/he may come in contact. Whether geared to rehabilitation, incarceration, or AIDS prevention, social agencies are often the only institutions to interpret, intervene, and offer assistance on behalf of the drug user's current situation. Yet, these social agencies have been unsuccessful at curtailing the rate of infection among drug addicted persons. An innovative approach that addresses the complex problem of drug addiction and AIDS is proposed and demonstrated. This approach encourages the development of a user-driven model of drug recovery. A comprehensive approach to the dual epidemic of AIDS and drug abuse is needed to arrest control of the forces that threatens the life of a growing number of young adults nationwide.
Subject Area
Cultural anthropology|Public health|Social psychology
Recommended Citation
Connors, Margaret Mary, "The social world of injection drug users and the adoption of AIDS preventative practices" (1993). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9329586.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9329586