The experience of injecting drugs in public spaces was characterised by urgency, a need for privacy, hygienic concerns, and a sense of shame

摘要

QUESTIONWhat is the lived experience of injecting drugs in public places and the social and structural factors that affect access to syringe distribution services?DESIGNQualitative study.SETTING6 urban, semi-rural, and rural areas in south Wales, UK.PARTICIPANTSA purposive sample of 49 people (age range 18-47 y, 69% men) who were current injecting drug users (had injected drugs in the past 4 wks; mean duration 7.2 y).METHODS49 individual semi-structured interviews were held, each lasting 30-90 minutes. Topics included injecting equipment use, access, and availability; injecting locations; and health and service needs and experiences. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed from a perspective of interpretive critical realism.