Table 1.
Characteristics of people who inject drugs in Appalachian Kentucky (N = 234).
| Total (n = 234) |
Men (n = 137) |
Women (n = 97) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | (%) | n | (%) | n | (%) | |
| Age, years | ||||||
| 20–24 | 17 | (7.3) | 11 | (8.0) | 6 | (6.1) |
| 25–29 | 49 | (20.9) | 27 | (19.7) | 22 | (22.7) |
| 30–34 | 42 | (17.9) | 27 | (19.7) | 15 | (15.5) |
| 35–39 | 50 | (21.4) | 32 | (23.4) | 18 | (18.6) |
| ≤40 | 76 | (32.5) | 40 | (29.2) | 36 | (37.1) |
| Education* | ||||||
| Less than high school | 75 | (32.1) | 55 | (40.2) | 20 | (20.6) |
| High school diploma or GED | 102 | (43.6) | 58 | (42.3) | 44 | (45.4) |
| Some college | 40 | (17.1) | 17 | (12.4) | 23 | (23.7) |
| Associates degree, trade or technical school | 13 | (5.6) | 5 | (3.7) | 8 | (8.3) |
| Bachelors degree, other 4 year college degree or more | 3 | (1.3) | 1 | (0.7) | 2 | (2.0) |
| Race | ||||||
| White | 227 | (97.0) | 136 | (99.3) | 91 | (93.8) |
| African American or Black | 3 | (1.3) | 1 | (0.7) | 2 | (2.1) |
| Mixed race | 3 | (1.3) | 0 | (0.0) | 3 | (3.1) |
| Other | 1 | (0.4) | 0 | (0.0) | 1 | (1.0) |
| Injected drugs in last 30 days | ||||||
| Yes | 198 | (84.6) | 120 | (87.6) | 78 | (80.4) |
| No | 36 | (15.4) | 17 | (12.4) | 19 | (19.6) |
| Number of times on average injecting in last 30 days | ||||||
| More than 3 times a day | 43 | (18.4) | 29 | (21.2) | 14 | (14.4) |
| 2–3 times a day | 59 | (25.2) | 38 | (27.7) | 21 | (21.6) |
| Daily | 32 | (13.7) | 18 | (13.1) | 14 | (14.4) |
| More than weekly | 22 | (9.4) | 14 | (10.2) | 8 | (8.2) |
| Weekly | 14 | (6.0) | 4 | (2.9) | 10 | (10.3) |
| More than once in past 30 days | 15 | (6.4) | 7 | (5.1) | 8 | (8.2) |
| Once in past 30 days | 10 | (4.3) | 7 | (5.1) | 3 | (3.1) |
| Never or did not answer | 39 | (16.7) | 20 | (14.6) | 19 | (19.6) |
| Receipt of syringes or needles in last 30 days | ||||||
| Pharmacy | 2 | (0.9) | 2 | (1.5) | 0 | (0.0) |
| Syringe service program (SSP) | 95 | (40.6) | 62 | (45.3) | 33 | (34.0) |
| From someone else who received at SSP | 46 | (19.7) | 28 | (20.4) | 18 | (18.6) |
| Farm supply or veterinarian | 29 | (12.4) | 15 | (10.9) | 14 | (14.4) |
| Drug dealer or street syringe seller | 17 | (7.3) | 10 | (7.3) | 7 | (7.2) |
| Spouse, family member, sexual partner, or friend | 8 | (3.4) | 3 | (2.2) | 5 | (5.2) |
| Found them | 2 | (0.9) | 1 | (0.7) | 1 | (1.0) |
| Did not receive syringes or needles | 35 | (15.0) | 16 | (11.7) | 19 | (19.6) |
| Current drug of choice to get high | ||||||
| Heroin | 67 | (28.6) | 42 | (30.7) | 25 | (25.8) |
| Opiate painkillers | 42 | (17.9) | 19 | (13.8) | 23 | (23.7) |
| Methamphetamine, crystal meth, or amphetamine | 76 | (32.5) | 41 | (29.9) | 35 | (36.1) |
| Other*** | 49 | (20.9) | 35 | (25.6) | 15 | (14.4) |
| Age of first injection, years | ||||||
| ≤19 | 64 | (27.4) | 46 | (33.6) | 18 | (18.6) |
| 25–29 | 49 | (20.9) | 29 | (21.2) | 20 | (20.6) |
| 20–24 | 58 | (24.8) | 31 | (22.6) | 27 | (27.8) |
| ≤30 | 63 | (26.9) | 31 | (22.6) | 32 | (33.0) |
*
Missing data due to not knowing or refused to answer: Education, n 1.
**
Other includes: street fentanyl or carfentanil powder, synthetics like U47700, U4, or “Pink”, methadone, prescription anxiety drugs, cocaine or crack, gabapentin, and clonidine.