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Police Brutality is Independently Associated with Sharing Injection Equipment among Injection Drug Users in Odessa, Ukraine. Robert Booth (1) Sergei Dvoryak (2) Christy Anderson (3) J.T. Brewster (1) Steffanie A. Strathdee (3). (1) School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver
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Police Brutality is Independently Associated with Sharing Injection Equipment among Injection Drug Users in Odessa, Ukraine Robert Booth (1)Sergei Dvoryak (2) Christy Anderson (3) J.T. Brewster (1) Steffanie A. Strathdee(3) (1) School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver (2) Ukrainian Institute on Public Policy (3) Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego Supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (RO1DA17620 & R01 DA027772-S1)
Perspective from People Using Drugs in Odessa • Interviewer: “Aren't you concerned about getting AIDS?" • Reply : "No". • Interviewer: "What is your biggest fear?" • Reply: "Withdrawal." • Interviewer: "What is your 2nd biggest fear?" • Reply: "The police. Withdrawal and the police are today. If I get HIV, I will still live another day."
Factors Independently Associated with Sharing Injection Equipment in Odessa (n = 480)
Conclusions • One quarter of IDUs in Odessa report being beaten by police and then released. • Police brutality was independently associated with sharing injection equipment in Odessa, adding to the considerable body of literature showing that policing practices can adversely affect the HIV epidemic. • Eliminating these human rights violations could favorably impact the HIV epidemic by preventing up to one fifth of HIV infections over the next 5 years (Strathdee et al, Lancet 2010).