Black Tar Heroin Injection Can Cause HIV

UCSF scientists have found that the use of black tar heroin injection drug users in the West Coast city accounts for significantly lower percentage of injecting drug users in these places who are infected with HIV. Findings based on a comparison with the east coast cities, where powder heroin is commonly used.
"At the beginning of 1990, about 40 percent of injecting drug users in New York City were HIV-infected, while only about four percent of injecting drug users in Los Angeles were infected with HIV. Nevertheless, in both cities, about 25 percent of gay men were HIV - infection. The solution to this conflict can be found in the distribution and use of black tar heroin and is due to its unique chemical properties,"said the study's lead author, Daniel H. Ciccarone, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor UCSF department of family and community medicine and anthropology, history and social medicine.

A study published in December 2003 issue of the substance use & abuse examined data from the Anti-Drugs Agency (DEA), the predominant types of heroin used in 20 U.S. cities, 1990 - 1993. These data were compared with estimates published in the journal American Journal of Public Health in 1996, two percent of injecting drug users and homosexuals infected with HIV in the same city during the same timeframe.

In towns west of the Mississippi, black tar heroin - dark, rubber, resinous substance from Mexico - is mainly a type of heroin available. On the east coast of the USA, white and light brown powder heroin from South Asia and South America, is mainly a type available. Study results showed that the proportion of injecting drug users infected with HIV significantly lower in the cities where the use of black tar heroin predominated compared to cities where powder heroin use predominated, a pattern which was reflected in the percentage of HIV-infected homosexual men.

Using ethnographic, clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data, researchers found that black tar drug use could lead to a reduction in HIV transmission. Firstly, before applying black tar heroin must be heated to about 165 ° F, according to research done elsewhere. This temperature is sufficient for killing the HIV virus, which reduces the likelihood of HIV transmission through sharing of equipment preparation, according to UCSF researchers.

In addition, black tar heroin clogs syringes that note. Frequent rinsing and flushing is necessary, reducing the amount of residual blood and HIV.

"In California, injectors are constantly complaining that their needles clog. They almost always rinse their syringes immediately after the shooting in order to keep them from interference. The reasons shooting camps and shooting walls are wet from the water, which squirt through their used needles. This not the case in New York, where the white powder heroin is'glue together'needles. Laboratory studies have shown that rinsing syringes Massive clean water works well with HIV,"said study's co-author, Philippe Bourgois, PhD, UCSF Professor and Chairman Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine.

Moreover, using rubber black tar heroin ruins syringes, leading to increased turnover of syringes."Black tar injectors rarely report using a single syringe more than five times, while users of heroin powder, says many others from their use of syringes,"said Ciccarone.