Hidden drug injectors with minimal drug treatment experience:The Fitpack Study, 1995

The Fitpack study aimed to describe the characteristics, HIV related knowledge, risk behaviours and service views of injecting drug users (IDU's) using the "Fitpack" syringe and needle-kits distributed to users throughout Western Australian pharmacies. The study attempted to access 'hidden' IDU's with little or no history of drug treatment, as this is a population that most research has typically ignored and yet constitutes the largest group of IDU's. Variables examined included drug treatment history, hepatitis C testing, drug use, and HIV risk behaviour. Background variables included sex, age, marital status, country of birth, employment status, and language spoken at home when growing up.