Sharing syringes in Madrid.

The objective was to determine which social and behavioural characteristics of injecting drug users (IDUs) are associated with injecting with syringes obtained from others. During 1990 and 1991, 901 Madrid IDUs were interviewed. Statistical analysis used cross-tabulations and logistic regression techniques. Forty-six per cent of those interviewed had injected in the previous 6 months with syringes previously used by someone else. The multivariate predictors were low level of education, no regular income, age at first injection, frequency of injection, use of cocaine, male-with-male sex and having less knowledge about HIV transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]