Kontakt 2020, 22(3):207-212 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2020.029

Needle fixation among drug usersSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Alena Hajšmanová1, Alena Kajanová1,*, Tomáš Mrhálek2
1 University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Institute of Social and Special-paedagogical Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
2 University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Pedagogy, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Needle fixation describes the state in which drug users derive satisfaction from using needles, regardless of the substance applied via the needle. The phenomenon is essential for therapeutic approaches for needle-addicted persons, as it significantly affects the success level of the therapeutic process. Goals: To describe the prevalence of individual dimensions of needle fixation among drug users in the city of Plzeň, considering their factors of drug use.

Methods: The data were collected with the help of the NEFPRO questionnaire working with fixation dimensions, specifically: preference of the effect of intravenous application, sexual satisfaction, sexual experience, pain, substitution, ritual and flushing. The questionnaire was complemented with several questions related to age, gender, time of abuse and the primary drug abused. The said variables were statistically tested in the SPSS program in relation to the fixation dimensions, by t-test for independent averages, ANOVA and bivariant correlations. The data were collected among injection drug users (N = 89) in Plzeň in cooperation with Spolek Ulice Plzeň, a non-profit organization providing field programs.

Results: The dimension of needle fixation most frequently present among the users was substitution (94.4%) and sexual practice (89.9%), followed by sexual pleasure (78.6%) and pain (66.3%); the remaining dimensions were marginally represented. A statistically significant relationship (p < 0.05) was identified between gender and the dimensions of pain and flushing; the type of drugs used shows a relation with the dimension of rituals. None of the dimensions significantly relate to age or duration of use.

Keywords: Drug addiction; Needle fixation; Ritual

Received: April 14, 2020; Revised: July 1, 2020; Accepted: August 17, 2020; Prepublished online: August 19, 2020; Published: August 28, 2020  Show citation

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Hajšmanová A, Kajanová A, Mrhálek T. Needle fixation among drug users. Kontakt. 2020;22(3):207-212. doi: 10.32725/kont.2020.029.
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