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Shooting Gallery Attendance among IDUs in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico: Correlates, Prevention Opportunities, and the Role of the Environment

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Abstract

We identified factors associated with shooting gallery attendance among injection drug users (IDUs) in two Mexico–US border cities. IDUs in Tijuana (n = 222) and Ciudad Juarez (n = 205), Mexico, who were ≥18 years and injected illicit drugs in the last month were recruited using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). An interviewer-administered survey collected sociodemographic and behavioral data. Logistic regression was used to examine correlates of shooting gallery attendance in each of the two cities. Homelessness and being arrested for syringe possession––both structural level factors––were associated with shooting gallery use in both cities. In Ciudad Juarez, younger age and having overdosed were also associated with shooting gallery use. Our study highlights the need for structural interventions that mitigate homelessness among IDUs and facilitate changes in law enforcement practices associated with shooting gallery use. Harm reduction interventions based within shooting galleries should also be considered to prevent transmission of blood-borne pathogens among IDUs.

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Acknowledgements

Proyecto El Cuete was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (DA09225-S11 and DA019829). Dr. Pollini is funded under a T32 grant from the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (AI007382) and Dr. Brouwer is supported by a K01 grant from NIDA (DA020354). The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of study participants and staff; Programa Compañeros and CIRAD for assistance with data collection; Centro Nacional para la Prevención y el Control del VIH/SIDA (CENSIDA); Instituto de Servicios de Salud de Estado de Baja California (ISESALUD); and the UCSD Center for AIDS Research (P30 AI36214-06).

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Correspondence to Robin A. Pollini.

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Philbin, M., Pollini, R.A., Ramos, R. et al. Shooting Gallery Attendance among IDUs in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico: Correlates, Prevention Opportunities, and the Role of the Environment. AIDS Behav 12, 552–560 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9372-6

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