Key result
In 19 patients with opioid use, groin injecting and subsequent deep vein thromboses led to significant stigma, delayed hospital admission, and profound worries about amputation.
Why the study?
Deep vein thromboses are common sequelae of injecting drugs into the groin, but the meanings and experiences of these events in this population needed exploration.
What are the meanings, bodily experiences, and stigma associated with deep vein thromboses in injecting drug users?
What are the meanings, bodily experiences, and stigma associated with deep vein thromboses in injecting drug users?
DVT in injecting drug users leads to significant stigma, isolation, and delayed hospital admission, highlighting the need for support groups and targeted interventions.
Stigma may delay DVT care in groin-injecting opioid users; leaves open whether targeted support reduces isolation or admission barriers.
Deep vein thromboses (DVTs) are common sequelae of injecting drugs into the groin. We explored meanings and experiences of DVTs in a group of 19 patients from the North East of England with a DVT and in treatment for opioid use. We report three themes: (a) DVT meaning making, (b) embodied experience, and (c) Stigma. Patients attributed DVTs to groin injecting, though thought other factors were also partially responsible. Medication performed both treatment and preventive functions. The most pertinent worry was amputation. Patients recognized stopping injecting as important, but it did not necessarily occur. Stigma resulted in delayed admission to hospital and feelings of isolation; support groups might alleviate the latter. Although groin injecting was undertaken partly to avoid the censure of being a drug user, ironically, a DVT led to long-standing stigmata that were discrediting signs of that exact status.
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Cornford et al. (2019) studied Deep vein thrombosis and opioid use (n=19). Groin injecting was evaluated on Meanings, bodily experiences, and stigma of DVTs. In 19 patients with opioid use, groin injecting and subsequent deep vein thromboses led to significant stigma, delayed hospital admission, and profound worries about amputation.
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