The Threat of Hepatitis C as an Influence on Injecting Amphetamine Users' Change Towards Non-Injecting

Jeremy Davey, Naomi Richards, Cathryne P. Lang, Amanda Davies
2006 Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse  
Amanda (2006) The threat of hepatitis C as an influence on injecting amphetamine users' change towards non-injecting. Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse 15(4):pp. 89-104. Ethical clearance for the project was granted by the Queensland University of Technology Human Research Ethics Committee. The assistance and support of staff and clients of the Brisbane Youth Service, Logan Youth and Family Services, and Quivva Hardup project is gratefully acknowledged. The Communicable Diseases
more » ... anch of Queensland Health provided funding. Thank you to the peer researchers who were imperative in accessing participants. KEYWORDS. hepatitis C virus; injecting drug use; amphetamine; Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change; Expanded Health Belief Model Injecting amphetamine and HCV threat 3 of 26 Abstract Young injecting drug users are a particularly vulnerable group for Hepatitis C (HCV) infection. One method for minimising the risk of contraction of HCV for amphetamine users (not widely explored in the research to date) is through encouraging non-injecting routes of administration (ROA). Self-report data from 150 young injecting amphetamine users was analysed to investigate the influence of HCV threat on the decision to cease injecting and the worth of promoting the use of non-injecting ROA. Application of the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change and the Expanded Health Belief Model showed that threat of HCV was not perceived as reason to cease injecting at any stage in the injecting career. Cessation was a result of personal choice, rather than response to any type of threat. This supports the promotion of harm minimisation rather than abstinence campaigns. Furthermore, the deficits in knowledge of HCV threat are worthy of campaign attention. Injecting amphetamine and HCV threat 4 of 26
doi:10.1300/j029v15n04_05 fatcat:mlo57k3ndzffnnkwdabxswhpgu