Table 1.
Descriptive characteristics of people who inject drugs (PWID) by receptive syringe sharing (RSS) status in the past 6 months, Cabell County, WV, June-July 2018 (n=420).
| Variable | Total (n=420), N (%) | No receptive syringe sharing (n=240), N (%) | Engaged in receptive syringe sharing (n=180), N (%) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS & HEALTH | ||||
| Age, mean (SD)a | 35.8 (8.5) | 36.9 (9.2) | 34.2 (7.3) | 0.001 |
| Gender | 0.862 | |||
| Male | 257 (61.2) | 146 (60.8) | 111 (61.7) | |
| Female | 163 (38.8) | 94 (39.2) | 69 (38.3) | |
| Race/Ethnicity | 0.378 | |||
| White, non-Hispanic | 341 (83.6) | 198 (85.0) | 143 (81.7) | |
| Other | 67 (16.4) | 35 (15.0) | 32 (18.3) | |
| Did not graduate high school | 115 (27.4) | 60 (25.1) | 55 (30.6) | 0.216 |
| Married/In a relationship | 193 (46.2) | 117 (49.2) | 76 (42.2) | 0.159 |
| Sexual Minority | 73 (17.4) | 36 (15.1) | 37 (20.6) | 0.142 |
| Engaged in transactional sex work, past 6 months | 77 (18.3) | 27 (11.3) | 50 (27.8) | <0.001 |
| Arrest, past 6 months | 141 (33.6) | 67 (27.9) | 74 (41.1) | 0.005 |
| Food insecurity | 272 (64.8) | 138 (57.5) | 134 (74.4) | <0.001 |
| Consider self homeless | 235 (56.0) | 118 (49.2) | 117 (65.0) | 0.001 |
| Unemployed | 277 (66.0) | 144 (60.0) | 133 (73.9) | 0.003 |
| Insured | 305 (72.6) | 177 (73.8) | 128 (71.1) | 0.548 |
| SUBSTANCE USE | ||||
| Number of injections per day, mean (SD)a | 4.4 (3.9) | 4.0 (4.0) | 4.8 (3.7) | 0.045 |
| Number of drugs injected, past 6 months, mean (SD)a | 2.6 (1.5) | 2.3 (1.4) | 3.0 (1.6) | <0.001 |
| Injection drug use, past 6 months | ||||
| Cocaine | 144 (34.3) | 68 (28.3) | 76 (42.2) | 0.003 |
| Heroin | 340 (81.0) | 186 (77.5) | 154 (85.6) | 0.037 |
| Speedball | 161 (38.3) | 81 (33.8) | 80 (44.4) | 0.026 |
| Crystal Methamphetamine | 298 (71.1) | 145 (60.4) | 153 (85.5) | <0.001 |
| Painkillers | 99 (23.6) | 47 (19.6) | 52 (28.9) | 0.026 |
| Fentanyl | 230 (54.8) | 113 (47.1) | 117 (65.0) | <0.001 |
| Suboxone or Buprenorphine | 127 (30.2) | 58 (24.2) | 69 (38.3) | 0.002 |
| Engaged in public injection, past 6 months | 199 (48.9) | 85 (36.8) | 114 (64.8) | <0.001 |
| SERVICE PROVISION | ||||
| Received sterile syringes from a SSP, past 6 months | 273 (65.0) | 167 (69.6) | 106 (58.9) | 0.023 |
| Received naloxone, past 6 months | 195 (46.5) | 112 (46.9) | 83 (46.1) | 0.879 |
| HIV test, past 6 months | 216 (51.7) | 123 (51.5) | 93 (52.0) | 0.921 |
| HIV positive | 13 (3.1) | 7 (3.0) | 6 (3.4) | 1.000b |
| Hepatitis C test, past 6 months | 221 (52.9) | 120 (50.4) | 101 (56.1) | 0.248 |
| Ever diagnosed with hepatitis C | 243 (57.9) | 113 (47.1) | 130 (72.2) | <0.001 |
a
t-test
b
Fisher’s exact test
SSP=syringe services program