Needle exchange program utilization and entry into drug user treatment: is there a long-term connection in Baltimore, Maryland?

This study examined the relationship between Needle Exchange Program (NEP) utilization and treatment entry in Baltimore, Maryland. The sample was composed of 440 drug injectors with disadvantaged backgrounds. Face-to-face interviews, focusing on HIV risk behaviors, drug use, and health, were conducted between June 1997 and June 2002. Multivariate logistic analyses revealed that entering treatment was associated with NEP utilization, being female, and being HIV-positive. Cocaine sniffers/snorters were less likely to enter treatment. These findings highlight the importance of NEPs in linking injectors to treatment. These data also suggest that treatment needs to address co-occurring problems, like HIV and mental illness. Study limitations are noted.