ArticleDrug and alcohol dependence2019
Strategies used by people who inject drugs to avoid stigma in healthcare settings.
Article in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 319 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
319 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 507 citations in OpenAlex.
- Antiretroviral Postexposure Prophylaxis After Sexual, Injection Drug Use, or Other Nonoccupational Exposure to HIV - CDC Recommendations, United States, 2025.MMWR. Recommendations and reports : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Recommendations and reports · 2025Guideline
- Assessing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic impacts on the health of people who inject drugs using a novel data sharing model.AIDS (London, England) · 2025Pooled it
- The effect of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use on vaccine acceptance, uptake, and adherence: a systematic review.Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire) · 2024Pooled it
- Interventions to reduce self-stigma in people who use drugs: A systematic review.Journal of substance use and addiction treatment · 2024Pooled it
- Stigma Associated with Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among People from Migrant and Ethnic Minority Groups: Results from a Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2023Pooled it
- Differential Impacts of Methadone and Buprenorphine/Naloxone on Pain-Related Outcomes Among People With Non-Heroin Opioid Use Disorder: Secondary Analyses From a Pragmatic Canadian Multisite Trial.Drug and alcohol review · 2026Trial
- Does perceived stigma impact opioid use disorder treatment uptake? A cross-sectional secondary analysis of buprenorphine engagement among syringe service program participants.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2026Trial
- Trust in addiction treatment services among people who use drugs in Vietnam.Journal of substance use and addiction treatment · 2026Trial
- Integrating Methadone Services Into Primary Care in Ukraine: Two-Year Outcomes From a Randomized Trial.Annals of internal medicine · 2026Trial
- Opioid treatment program-integrated facilitated telemedicine for hepatitis C treatment: a hybrid effectiveness-implementation analysis.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Trial
- Designing and evaluating a technology-based intervention to address deep ambivalence about COVID vaccination among people who inject drugs.Health education research · 2025Trial
- Social support and HIV management among people who inject drugs: in-depth interviews in Delhi, India.Harm reduction journal · 2025Trial
- Dalba Got Back? Use of Dalbavancin for the Treatment of Vertebral Osteomyelitis.Open forum infectious diseases · 2024Trial
- Integrating methadone into primary care settings in Ukraine: effects on provider stigma and knowledge.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2024Trial
- Facilitated telemedicine for hepatitis C virus: Addressing challenges for improving health and life for people with opioid use disorder.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2023Trial
- Preliminary Efficacy of a Theory-Informed Intervention to Increase COVID-19 Testing Uptake Among People Who Inject Drugs in San Diego County: Findings From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine · 2023Trial
- Experiences of patients at high risk of opioid overdose accessing emergency department and behavioral health interventions: a qualitative analysis in an urban emergency department.BMC health services research · 2023Trial
- Exploring Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Infection Rates in Florida After Implementation of Syringe Services Programs: A Quasi-Experimental Study.AJPM focus · 2026Article
- Experiences of Living with HIV, Stigma, and Healthcare Access in Australia among People Born in China, Thailand, and Latin America Compared to People Born in Australia.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2026Article
- Development and Validation of a Provider-Specific Anticipated Stigma Scale for People Who Inject Drugs.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
259 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPeople who inject drugs (PWID) have limited engagement in healthcare services and report frequent experiences of stigma and mistreatment when accessing services. This paper explores the impact of stigma against injection drug use on healthcare utilization among PWID in the U.S. Northeast.
methodsWe recruited PWID through community-based organizations (CBOs; e.g., syringe service programs). Participants completed brief surveys and semi-structured interviews lasting approximately 45 min exploring HIV risk behaviors and prevention needs. Thematic analysis examined the emergent topic of stigma experiences in relation to healthcare utilization.
resultsAmong 33 PWID (55% male; age range 24-62 years; 67% White; 24% Latino), most used heroin (94%) and injected at least daily (60%). Experiences of dehumanization in healthcare settings were common, with many participants perceiving that they had been treated unfairly or discriminated against due to their injection drug use. As participants anticipated this type of stigma from healthcare providers, they developed strategies to avoid it, including delaying presenting for healthcare, not disclosing drug use, downplaying pain, and seeking care elsewhere. In contrast to large institutional healthcare settings, participants described non-stigmatizing environments within CBOs, where they experienced greater acceptance, mutual respect, and stronger connections with staff.
conclusionsStigma against injection drug use carries important implications for PWID health. Increased provider training on addiction as a medical disorder could improve PWID healthcare experiences, and integrating health services into organizations frequented by PWID could increase utilization of health services by this population.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.