Sharing Injecting Equipment and Sexual Behavior in Ambulatory Intravenous Drug Users: A National Survey (Spain)

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Abstract
This article examines the relationship between sharing and sexual behavior in a nationwide sample of 1,074 intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in ambulatory treatment in Spain. Of our sample, 31.9% shared or had shared injecting equipment. Sharing was associated with sex-less frequent in males-and yielded an inverse relationship with age, years of education, and age at first intravenous drug use. Sharers, especially women, engaged more frequently in sex in exchange for money. A small proportion (6.3%) of male IVDUs had bisexual or homosexual relations. Condoms were always used by 18.4% of males and 15.9% of females. The sharing of injecting equipment was not generally as- sociated with a particular type of penetrative sexual encounter, although condom use was less frequent among IVDUs who shared injecting equipment. The limitations of the present study are discussed.