INTRODUCTION: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection remains prevalent among the minority and drug using population in the United States. Testing for HIV is an important and cost effective way to reduce HIV prevalence. OBJECTIVE: To assess the HIV testing behavior of people who use non-injected drugs (PWND) and compare it to that of people who use injected drugs (PWID), in order to determine which factors, in terms of social context as well as individual risks, predict HIV testing among the PWND. METHOD: A cross-sectional study of HIV testing behavior of PWND compared to PWID was conducted and the data was analyzed by applying negative binomial regression models. Then, a negative binomial regression using generalized estimating equation (GEE) was employed in order to identify the predictive factors for HIV testing among PWND over a 2-year period. RESULTS: Individuals who reported using injected drugs tended to undergo HIV tests more often compared to those who used non-injected drugs, PR (95% CI) = 1.24 (1.02, 1.51), p = 0.03. The interaction term between injection status and emotional support in relation to HIV testing was significant, 0.75 (0.59, 0.97), p = 0.03. PWID that had access to greater emotional support on average tended to test for HIV less frequently than did PWID with less emotional support. In stratified analyses, emotional support was negatively associated with testing among PWID and positively associated among PWND, though both relationships were borderline significant. HIV testing among users of illicit drugs was dependent on emotional support. According to the GEE models examining the factors predicting HIV testing among PWND, sexually transmitted infections, non-injected heroin use, being in drug treatment, engagement in sexual transactions, and instability in drug networks were the main factors contributing to being HIV tested, as well as frequency of testing. The positive influence of emotional support on these variables was borderline significant. CONCLUSION: People who use non-injected drugs are less likely to test for HIV compared to those who use injected drugs, though they may share similar risk factors for HIV transmission and acquisition. To exert a greater impact on the HIV epidemic, interventions and policies encouraging HIV testing in this subpopulation, which remains under-recognized by both researchers and health practitioners in terms of the potential risks for contracting the HIV, are warranted.

Despite increased involvement in the criminal justice system among populations of migrants, people who inject drugs, and drug-involved men in community corrections, few studies investigate associations between involvement in the criminal justice system and sexual and injection drug risks among these key-affected populations and their intimate partners. To address these gaps the following dissertation study investigated the association between exposures to the criminal justice system and sexual and injection drug risks among three key affected populations: 1) male labor migrants in Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2) people who inject drugs and their intimate partners in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and 3) drug-involved men in community corrections in New York City, NY in the United States. Using the three-paper model, the following dissertation sheds new insights into how exposures to the risk environment shape sexual and injection HIV risks to inform HIV prevention research and practice with populations disproportionately involved in criminal justice systems.

A qualitative interview study how the normative gender images affects on women, their roles and positions in a drug abuse. The purpose of this study aims to shed a light at the consequences that the normative gender scenario inflicts on women with drug abuse and how these prejudices affects these women. Based on interviews with four different women who all lived with a drug abuse we have problematized how the gender system and the normative gender images affected them. We have used gender perspectives and social constructivism theories while analyzing the empirical basis. More specifically we use the theories of Butler about how gender constructs through performative actions and Hirdmans theories of the gender system. The paper ends with a discussion of the result and a description of how the women through the socialization process is shaped to meet the normative image of women. In the subculture they adopt a more masculine appearance in order to achieve respect and status. When the women decides to leave the drug abuse and the subculture they are expected to once again adapt to the normative image of their gender, which on a micro level becomes a rollercoaster of gender strategies for the individual woman.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

Bakgrund: Tidigare forskning visade på att sjuksköterskor tenderade att ha en negativ bild av missbrukare, samtidigt som de uttryckte att de ändå gav god omvårdnad. Missbrukspatienterna ansågs ha ett stort eget ansvar för sin sjukdom. De negativa attityderna sågs ofta som direkt orsakade av kunskapsbrist. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva hur några sjuksköterskor uppfattade mötet med missbrukare på en akutmottagning i en svensk storstad. Metod: Intervjustudie med kvalitativ ansats, där det manifesta innehållet analyserades. Resultat: Kunskapsbrist inom området beroendelära ansågs vara en faktor som påverkade mötet negativt. Sjuksköterskorna visade respekt för patienten och poängterade vikten av att ha empatisk förmåga. Patientgruppen ansågs generellt som svårhanterlig på grund av ovilja att samarbeta och de hotfulla situationer som ibland uppkom i samband med alkohol och narkotikapåverkan. Hopplöshet infann sig inför det faktum att sjuksköterskan försökte göra allt för denna patientgrupp, men inte såg några framsteg. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskorna hade en generellt sett positiv uppfattning av mötet och de viktigaste delarna för att skapa ett gott möte var kunskap, empati och respekt. Utbredd kunskapsbrist inom beroendelära var ett hinder för att skapa ett bra möte. / Background: Previous research showed that nurses tended to hold a negative image of substance abusers, but they still provided good care for the group. Substance abusers held a great responsibility for their own illness. The negative attitudes were often seen as directly caused by lack of knowledge. Aim: To describe how some nurses perceived the meeting with substance abusers at an emergency room in a Swedish city. Method: Interview-study with a qualitative approach, where the analysis was conducted with content analysis on the manifest contents. Result: Lack of knowledge about addiction affected the meeting in a negative way. The nurse showed respect for the patient and empathized the need for empathetic ability in nursing. Overall substance abusers were seen as an unwieldy group due to their inability to cooperate and the threatening situations which sometimes occurred. The fact that the nurse tried to do everything in her power to help the patient, but didn't see any progress generated feelings of hopelessness. Conclusion: The nurses had an overall positive perception of the meeting and the most important components to create a good meeting were knowledge, empathy and respect. Lack of knowledge about addiction was a hindrance for creating a good meeting.

The problem of the study was to determine the status of bloodborne pathogen education for injection drug users in Indiana hospital emergency departments. The study was designed to answer the following research questions: (a) Do Indiana hospital emergency departments have written policies on bloodborne pathogen education for injection drug users? (b) To what extent do Indiana hospital emergency departments provide bloodborne pathogen education for injection drug users? and (c) What are the major barriers for Indiana hospital emergency departments in providing bloodborne pathogen education for injection drug users?A valid instrument was developed and sent to 110 Indiana hospital emergency department nurse managers. Forty-six instruments were returned for a response rate of 43.8%.The results indicated only three (7.1 %) responding hospital emergency departments had written bloodborne pathogen educational policies. Ten (20.8%) emergency departments provided some form of bloodborne pathogen education for injection drug users. Major barriers indicated for not providing patient education consisted of insufficient monetary resources, injection drug users denying a drug history, and emergency department nurses being unable to identify injection drug usage. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Also available in print.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 46-04, page: 2054. Adviser: Jan M. H. Risser. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 112-125).