Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

  Background: Prevalence of HIV and hepatitis among injecting drug users who use shared needle is greater than those drug users that generally prefer not to use each other's needles. The aim of this study was to explain the cause of utilization of shared needle among injecting drug users of Ahwaz city in 2010.

  Methods: This article was part of a qualitative study which has been performed by the content analysis method and sampling ‐ based target on the injecting drug users of Ahwaz. The data were collected with semi ‐ structured individual depth interviews and analyzed by the constant comparative method of analysis. A total of 39 semi ‐ structured interviews were done with drug injectors. Informed consents were obtained from all of the participants. Participants were asked about the cause of utilization of shared needle, history of imprisonment and disease. After the first interview, continuous analysis of data was implemented and continued until data saturation.

  Results: After analysis and coding of data the cause of utilization of shared needle for injection among participants were: inaccessibility and limitations for preparing syringe, lack of subjects’ awareness of the dangers of shared needle, hopelessness and tending to die through shared needle, self ‐ deception and self ‐ justification.

  Conclusion: Considering the increasing number of injection drug users and the risk of diseases transmitted through shared needle as well as to control addiction and transmission of blood ‐ borne diseases such as HIV in country it is essential to improve harm reduction programs, provide sterile syringes and injection equipment as well as train injecting drug users and help them to quit addiction.