查看文章

Few recent studies have investigated the prevalence of improperly discarded syringes in community settings by people who inject drugs (PWID). We examined whether syringe source was associated with the act of improper syringe disposal and amount of syringes improperly disposed of among PWID in Los Angeles, California.

A cross-sectional sample of PWID (N = 412) was recruited and administered a structured questionnaire between July 2011 and April 2013. Descriptive analyses investigated syringe access and disposal practices among participants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified adjusted associations between syringe source (syringe exchange program [SEP] or pharmacy) and improper syringe disposal.

Most participants were male (69%), homeless (62%) and low-income earners (64%). The majority (87%) of the sample received syringes from a SEP in the …