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2001 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer Injection drug use by teenagers is on the rise in Dublin, Ireland, and causing young people, especially females, to participate in high-risk behaviors, health researchers say.
Injection drug and needle sharing is a well-known method of transmission for some hepatitis viruses and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In addition, studies have shown injection drug use increases the likelihood for participation in risky behaviors, including unprotected sexual intercourse, a source of disease transmission as well as unintentional pregnancy.
From 1990 to 1997, more than 1,000 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 participated in the Dublin Needle Exchange program, which targeted 11 major sites in Dublin, Ireland. L. Mullen, University of Dublin Trinity College, headed a retrospective investigation of these teenagers and the risk factors associated with their use of condoms and shared needles.
"Increases in both the number and proportion of young injectors, particularly young female injectors, have occurred over the eight years," Mullen et al. said.
Before the teens began the needle-sharing program, 39% and 61%, respectively, were sharing needles or engaging in sexual behaviors without the use of condoms. "The proportion of females not using a condom during sexual relationships was significantly higher than males," investigators said.
Most of the teenaged participants had not received therapy for drug addiction prior to ...
Source: HighBeam Research, Teen Injection Drug Users In Dublin, Ireland, Practice High-Risk...