PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D V Hawks

Publications and source records attributed to D V Hawks.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

AIDS and injecting drug use: very risky behaviour in a Perth sample of injecting drug users.

This research was carried out in 1990 to examine high-risk injecting and sexual behaviour in a sample of injecting drug users (IDUs) in Perth. The study was a cross-sectional survey with a convenience sample drawn from drug treatment (54%) and non-treatment (46%) populations. In the sample of 150 IDUs, there were 11 very risky drug behaviour (VRDB) and 63 very risky sex behaviour (VRSB) respondents. Four respondents fell into both categories. Independent comparisons were made between each risk group and the rest of the sample. The VRDB respondents were heterosexual men, most of whom were in long-term monogamous relationships, with heavier levels of drug use than the rest of the sample. The VRSB respondents were largely single and mainly heterosexual, with more sexual partners than the rest of the sample. It was concluded that there was little evidence that very risky behaviour was related to a general risk-taking dimension, to inadequate knowledge about AIDS or to a low assessment of personal vulnerability to AIDS. However, situational influences in association with heavy drug use appeared to be a major component of high-risk injecting behaviour, while high-risk sexual behaviour appeared more to be a reflection of community norms about heterosexual sexual behaviour. The study should be replicated with larger samples, particularly as the VRDB group was so small, but if the findings are reproduced in other studies, it suggests that serious attention should be paid to the promotion of safer sex among injecting drug users.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

HIV risk behaviour among injecting drug users in Perth: the Australian National AIDS and Injecting Drug Use Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out in 1989 to examine behaviour involving risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and to measure the prevalence of HIV antibodies in a sample of injecting drug users (IDUs) in Perth. DESIGN: The study was a cross-sectional survey with a sample of convenience of 196 IDUs drawn from drug treatment (54%) and non-treatment (46%) populations. RESULTS: Sixty-five per cent of the sample were men and 35% women. Subjects were predominantly heterosexual, were in their late twenties, had not completed secondary school, and were on sickness, unemployment or pension benefits. The majority were poly-drug users, but heroin and amphetamines were the only drugs that had been injected by more than 20% of the sample more than once a month. Respondents reported injecting an average of 43.6 (SD 83.6) times a month and using 33.7 (SD 55.4) new needles a month. The majority (70%) had injected within weeks of the interview. Sixty-seven per cent had shared needles within months. Respondents claimed to pass on used needles more frequently than to accept them, and were most likely to share with close friends or lovers when clean needles were unavailable and/or when they were withdrawing. While most respondents cleaned used needles, few used bleach all or most of the time. Most (78%) respondents had been tested for HIV seropositivity at least once. Most had multiple sexual partners and 92.3% had engaged in at least one unsafe sexual practice during the previous six months. Sixty-four per cent had changed some aspect of drug using, and 38% some aspect of sexual behaviour since hearing about the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV seroprevalence for the 179 respondents who were tested was 2.2%, but this figure should not be taken as an estimate of seroprevalence for the Perth IDU population. CONCLUSION: Respondents' behaviour placed them at a high level of risk for HIV infection. Based on reported behaviour, it is recommended that education for IDUs in Perth should emphasise, among other things: not passing on used needles; cleaning used needles and syringes with bleach; planning ahead so that sterile equipment is available; and further risk reduction, particularly the adoption of safer sexual practices.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

The watering down of Australia's health policy on alcohol.

The draft National Health Policy on alcohol in Australia, prepared by the Alcohol Sub-Committee of the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy and presented to that Council in November 1987, is compared to that approved by Ministers at their meeting in March 1989. Attention is directed to those policies and strategies which were substantially altered from the draft document and which, it is argued, represented the policy's most significant recommendations. The role of the alcohol industry in effecting these changes is speculated upon.

Journal Article↗