Opioid use trajectories, injection drug use and HCV risk among young adult immigrants from the former Soviet Union living in New York City
Abstract
Available evidence suggests that young former Soviet Union immigrants are a vulnerable group with high prevalence rates of nonmedical prescription opioid and heroin use, injection drug use and injection-related risk behavior, placing them at risk for HCV/HIV infection, overdose and associated harms; this group has been the focus of little research, however. This paper reports on quantitative and qualitative data collected from 80 former Soviet immigrants (ages 18-29) to characterize their opioid use trajectories, injection risk behavior, HCV/HIV testing histories and self-reported HCV/HIV serostatus, and provides clinically meaningful data that may inform tailored education, prevention and harm reduction interventions.
Full citation:
Guarino H, Marsch LA, Deren S, Straussner SL, Teper A (2015). Opioid use trajectories, injection drug use and HCV risk among young adult immigrants from the former Soviet Union living in New York City
Journal of Addictive Diseases, 34 (2-3), 162-177. doi: 10.1080/10550887.2015.1059711. PMCID: PMC4583065.