Navigating environmental constraints to injection preparation: the use of saliva and other alternatives to sterile water among unstably housed PWID in London.
n = 455 humansQuestionnaire and in-depth qualitative interviews (Care and Prevent study)
A survey of 455 people who inject drugs and 32 interviews in London found restricted access to sterile water drove use of saliva and other substitutes, alongside a 65% lifetime rate of bacterial infections.
Key result78% reported lifetime street homelessness, 65% bacterial infections and 30% related hospitalisation
- Studied
- People who inject drugs in London, many street homeless or unstably housed
- Main outcome
- Access to sterile water and injection preparation practices
- Sample
- 455 survey respondents plus 32 qualitative interviews
- Authors' conclusion
- Restricted access to sterile water led to alternatives such as puddle water, toilet cistern water, cola and saliva, potentially raising infection risk; water for injection should be made available.
- Limitations
- Self-reported data from a specific London sample; no comparison group.
