AI Article Synopsis
- A study compared injection drug users (IDUs) in NYC who were HIV and hepatitis C negative to those who were infected with either or both viruses, focusing on their life histories between 2005-2008.
- Findings suggest that IDUs who manage to achieve personal goals, such as avoiding withdrawal and maintaining social support, may have a lower risk of infection.
- The study calls for further research through cohort studies and prevention trials to better understand the relationship between achieving these goals and reduced infection rates, while also acknowledging its limitations.
Article Abstract
A positive-deviance control-case life history study of injection drug users (IDUs) in New York City who had injected drugs for 8-15 years compared 21 IDUs who were antibody negative for both HIV and hepatitis C with 3 infected with both viruses and 11 infected with hepatitis C virus but not HIV. Eligible subjects were referred from other research studies and from community organizations that conduct testing for HIV and hepatitis C virus. Data were collected during 2005-2008 and were analyzed using life history and grounded theory approaches. They support grounded hypotheses that IDUs who are able to attain symbiotic goals like avoiding withdrawal and maintaining social support are assisted thereby in remaining uninfected with HIV or hepatitis C. These hypotheses should be tested using cohort studies and prevention trials to see if helping IDUs attain symbiotic goals reduces infection risk. The study's limitations are noted.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3141294 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/10826084.2011.523316 | DOI Listing |
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