“Syringe exchange is used by various categories of abusers, and the patterns of use vary greatly. This concerns how long they participate, how often they make their visits, and what services they request,” says Nils Stenström. One surprising finding was that a large proportion of the visitors, nearly half, visited the clinic without exchanging syringes. These visits are social in nature – Ânevertheless they are connected with reduced risks of infection. This shows that the associations between syringe exchange, risk behaviour, and infection risks are complex, according to Stenström.
The studied followed 3,660 injecting abusers taking part in the syringe exchange program in Malmö, Sweden, over a 15 year period. Nearly 180,000 visits served as the basis for comprehensive analysis of how the program is used and developments regarding contagion, HIV and hepatitis testing, vaccinations, and social development. The study is probably the largest ever undertaken in the world of the long-term effects of a syringe exchange program.
Analyses of the visits data reveal that the longer individuals participate in the program, the more often they visit the clinic. But the hope that syringe exchange would constitute a springboard to regular public care and treatment options for drug abusers was not realized to any great extent. On the other hand, the clinic itself, through extensive testing, vaccination, and counseling, did take on an important role in general preventive health efforts.
The title of the dissertation is Syringe exchange for injecting drug users – A longitudinal study of participants in a syringe exchange programme in Malmö, Sweden.
Nils Stenström, 063-16 59 04, 070-368 5832,
E-mail nils.stenstrom@miun.se
26 April, 2013 - Mittuniversitetet
On the 7th of May, ABBA The Museum and The Swedish Music Hall of Fame in Stockholm, Sweden, will open their gates to visitors from around the world. Current research at the European Tourism Research Institute (ETOUR), Mid Sweden University, shows that half of the ABBA fans have travelled ten times or more because of their interest in ABBA.
19 November, 2012 - Mittuniversitetet
Researchers from Sportstech Additive Manufacturing Group at Mid Sweden University have verified the patented technology of the Swedish company Exmet AB by succeeding in making the world first sample of iron based bulk metallic glass (BMG, also amorphous metal or glassy alloy) using electron beam manufacturing technology. This may be a breakthrough in the manufacturing of BMG components.
14 November, 2011 - Mittuniversitetet
In the last couple of years, the two small American towns of Forks and La Push have been visited by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people a day. These visitors photograph the local school, doctor’s office, and residential houses – all in pursuit of an authentic Twilight experience. Tourism researchers at Mid Sweden University are now releasing the first book about the fans and the tourism that has emerged, ”I populärkulturturismens fotspår – Twilight + Vacation = Twication©” [Following the footprints of popular culture tourism – Twilight + Vacation = Twication©].
23 February, 2011 - Mittuniversitetet
FSCN, the Fibre Science and Communication Network research center at Mid Sweden University will pursue research on energy-efficient production of mechanical and chemimechanical pulping processes. This will be done in collaboration with the companies SCA, Stora Enso, Holmen, Metso, and Andritz. Mid Sweden University will receive SEK 36 million from the Knowledge Foundation, and the business community will make research commitments corresponding in value to the Knowledge Foundation investment. On top of this, the University is providing SEK 12 million.
Expertsvar, The Swedish Research Council, Hantverkargatan 11B, Stockholm SWEDENPhone +46(0)8 546 44 000
P.O. Box 1035, SE-101 38 Stockholm, expertsvar@vr.se
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