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Perception of Risk of HIV Infection by Injecting Drug Users and Effects on Medical Clinic Attendance
Author(s) -
COLEMAN ROSIE M.,
CURTIS DAVID,
FEINMANN CHARLOTTE
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1988.tb03044.x
Subject(s) - attendance , medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , family medicine , perception , risk perception , drug , psychiatry , psychology , neuroscience , economics , economic growth
Summary One hundred and sixty two injecting drug users attending two London clinics were asked if they thought that they were at risk from HIV infection. Thirty‐one thought it was likely that they had been exposed to HIV, and these subjects had injected drugs for longer, were more likely to have shared needles and syringes in the last year, to have used dealer's equipment and to have shared with someone from abroad. They also had more male sexual partners and were more likely to have resorted to prostitution. There was no evidence that perception of risk influenced subjects in their intention to attend a medical clinic, and subjects who attended the medical clinic did not differ significantly from others attending the drug dependency unit.