The Spread of Intravenous Drug Use and AIDS in a Neighborhood in Spain

This article traces the process of the adoption of intravenous drug use in a Madrid neighborhood between 1978 and 1990 and how that process influenced the local spread of HIV/AIDS. During this period, intravenous drug use reached massive proportions in Spain and became a main factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. Data collected on 245 intravenous drug users and the motives and circumstances of first intravenous drug use in 124 cases show a consistent pattern of social transmission, a high prevalence of HIV infection among drug users, and a high risk of infection for their partners and children. Contrary to prevalent stereotypes, often heroin was not the first drug injected.