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Taking care of themselves: how long‐term injection drug users remain HIV and Hepatitis C free
Author(s) -
Meylakhs Peter,
Friedman Samuel R.,
MateuGelabert Pedro,
Sandoval Milagros,
Meylakhs Nastia
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
sociology of health and illness
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1467-9566
pISSN - 0141-9889
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9566.12226
Subject(s) - term (time) , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , hepatitis c , drug , medicine , hepatitis , virology , intensive care medicine , pharmacology , physics , quantum mechanics
Though prevalence of HIV and especially Hepatitis C is high among people who inject drugs ( PWID ) in New York, about a third of those who have injected for 8–15 years have avoided infection by either virus despite their long‐term drug use. Based on life history interviews with 35 long‐term PWID in New York, this article seeks to show how successful integration and performance of various drug using and non‐drug using roles may have contributed to some of these PWID 's staying uninfected with either virus. We argue that analysis of non‐risk related aspects of the lives of the risk‐takers ( PWID ) is very important in understanding their risk‐taking behaviour and its outcomes (infection statuses). Drawing on work‐related, social and institutional resources, our double‐negative informants underwent both periods of stability and turmoil without getting infected.