The "Sharing" of Injection Equipment among Young Injection Drug Users in Montreal

The goal of this study was to identify the contexts in which street youth who inject drugs share their injection equipment. In-depth interviews were conducted among youth recruited through community groups & utilizing a "snowballing" technique. We interviewed 24 youth (aged 15 to 22 years). At the time of their first injection, the youth are not very concerned with the risks of infection but worry more about developing an addiction. However, youth who continue to inject are aware of the risks associated with needle sharing & consider that, in a city where prevention programs provide free access to syringes, this practice should be avoided. This is not the case for other injection equipment. Contexts of vulnerability associated with sharing originate when personal & social factors intersect. Certain critical moments in a youth's life related to drug consumption & living in the streets, as well as the high level of intimacy among injection partners make youth more vulnerable to unsafe practices. References. Adapted from the source document.