This study examines the experiences of HIV/AIDS prevention workers whose clients
include injection drug users (IDUs). Via a mixed methods approach (survey
questionnaire and interview) the specifics of workers' practices were documented, along
with their perspectives on a variety of IDU, addiction and HIV/AIDS-related issues.
Foucault's writings on knowledge and power were used as the theoretical framework for
this analysis. Thirty-six workers completed a self-administered questionnaire, from
which preliminary analyses were conducted to identify emergent themes for exploration
during qualitative interviews. Sixteen participants subsequently discussed themes such as
treatment options, social marginalization, and the workers' approaches to working with
IDUs.
The findings reveal that the workers share some common beliefs. They are convinced
their IDU clients would be able to practice better self care if they had access to safe and
affordable housing. In terms of addictions services, the continued broadening of needle
exchange programs (NEPs) is good, but that NEP itself should not be the only harm
reduction strategy in place. With regards to abstinence-based services, none of the
participants found satisfactory the existing meagre services accesible to their clients who
want to stop using drugs. They were ambivalent towards methadone maintenance
therapy (MMT), once used as an initial stage towards total abstinence, now more
commonly used as a harm reduction instrument, by eliminating opiate use (and injection),
or reducing the frequency of opiate injection.
Workers emphasized the substanial gaps between the services available and what is
needed, in terms of harm reduction or (particularly) abstinence. These workers use their
own, local knowledge about IDUs and addiction, and navigate their clients through the
limited services available. As hundreds of IDUs continue to become infected with HIV
each year in Vancouver, a dramatic increase in access to abstinence-based services, and a
more explicit gradiation between "pure" abstinence-based programs and NEPs, could be
put in place. Most workers support a more nuanced spectrum of treatment options for
IDUs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/13472 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Egan, John Patrick |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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