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Needle fixation, the drug user's perspective: a qualitative study
Author(s) -
McBride Andrew J.,
Pates Richard M.,
Arnold Karin,
Ball Nicola
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2001.967104914.x
Subject(s) - fixation (population genetics) , drug , drug user , harm , medicine , harm reduction , psychology , psychiatry , social psychology , family medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , environmental health , population
Aims . Changing drug users' injecting behaviour is central to the project of drug services. Information about the idea of "needle fixation" is fragmentary and of uncertain relevance to contemporary injecting drug users. The aim of the study is to describe injecting drug users' ideas about needle fixation. Participants and design . Twenty‐four participants, some of whom identified themselves as needle fixated, were recruited from four drugs agencies in south Wales. Participants took part in semi‐structured interviews, recorded, transcribed and qualitatively analysed using Atlas/ti software. Findings . Participants describe a range of behaviours and experiences which fit with previous ideas of needle fixation, including ritualization, substitution of other drugs, injection of water and associations with deliberate‐self‐harm and sex. Participants describe high levels of needle aversion and add detail to previous partial descriptions of needle fixation. Conclusions . Issues conveniently considered together as needle fixation are current among injecting drug users and may be relevant to the inability of some drug users to change from injecting drug use.