TABLE 1.
Selected participant characteristics and HIV risk-related behaviors in the last 30 days. N = 300 people who inject drugs.
| Characteristic | %1 (n) |
|---|---|
| Age | |
| 19–29 | 17.6 (52) |
| 30–39 | 28.5 (84) |
| 40–49 | 33.6 (99) |
| 50–62 | 20.3 (60) |
| Gender (% male) | 56.3 (169) |
| Racial category | |
| White | 43.7 (117) |
| Black/African American | 54.5 (146) |
| Other2 | 1.8 (4) |
| Hispanic/Latino ethnicity | 42.7 (128) |
| Marital status | |
| Never married | 43.7 (131) |
| Married or living together | 31.3 (94) |
| Divorced, separated or widowed | 25.0 (75) |
| Educational achievement | |
| Less than high school graduation | 37.7 (112) |
| High school graduate or GED | 43.7 (131) |
| More than high school graduate | 18.7 (56) |
| Employment status | |
| Employed full-time or part-time | 20.0 (60) |
| Student | 3.3 (10) |
| Unable to work due to disability or retired | 16.6 (50) |
| Homemaker | 4.7 (14) |
| Unemployed | 53.3 (160) |
| Other, including illegal activities | 2.0 (6) |
| Income category (per year) | |
| Less than $10,000 | 62.1 (185) |
| $10,000–$19,999 | 35.9 (107) |
| $20,000 or more | 2.0 (6) |
| Homeless immediately preceding Hurricane Sandy | 19.4 (56) |
| Veteran of US armed forces | 19.1 (51) |
| Discharge status | |
| Honorable | 38.8 (19) |
| General | 28.6 (14) |
| Other than honorable/punitive | 32.7 (16) |
| HIV infection status (% positive) | 20.8 (60) |
| Taking prescribed methadone or buprenorphine immediately preceding | |
| Hurricane Sandy | 49.8 (149) |
| HIV risk-related behavior during the last 30 days | |
| Frequency of illicit drug injecting | |
| One per week or less | 5.7 (15) |
| Once per week | 39.0 (103) |
| Once per day | 25.0 (66) |
| Twice per day or more | 30.3 (80) |
| Shared syringes | 27.9 (83) |
| Receptively shared syringes | 16.4 (49) |
| Distributively shared syringes | 26.2 (78) |
| “Backloaded/piggybacked3” | 17.4 (52) |
| Shared drug preparation equipment | 35.6 (106) |
| Exchanged sex for money, drugs or other goods | 14.0 (42) |
1
, Effective sample sizes (n) for category percentages vary due to non-response for some items, and percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding;
2
, Other = American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific islander, and multiple racial groups;
3
, used an individual syringe to withdraw drugs from a common syringe containing drugs prepared for more than one person.