University of Otago (Christchurch) researchers have discovered more than 90% of those surveyed had experienced injecting-related injuries and diseases, and 40% of them reported having more than 10 injuries or diseases.
Lead author and University of Otago sixth-year medical student Stephen Potter said more concerningly, 63% of those surveyed had never sought medical attention; and 32% of those who had experienced a severe injury, also never sought treatment.
Injuries included life-threatening abscesses, septicaemia, thrombosis, endocarditis, soft tissue injuries and other medical complications.
As part of the research, 57 clients from the South Island’s two largest needle exchanges — one in Christchurch and one in Dunedin — were surveyed, between October 31, 2023, and February 10, 2024.
Funded as part of a Health Research Council of New Zealand grant, the survey showed 47% of participants were injecting at least once daily, and 7% were injecting more than three times daily.
An estimated 10,000 people inject drugs for recreational purposes in New Zealand — most of whom inject methamphetamine.
Given the increasing use of meth, this number was likely to grow, and some needle exchanges were already reporting an increase in client presentations, Mr Potter said.
The results highlighted the stigma, discrimination and cost barriers experienced by injecting drug users in New Zealand, he said.
"We know that people who inject drugs are a marginalised and vulnerable population group, at heightened risk of medical complications from injecting, some of which can be life-threatening ... yet they are reluctant to seek, or unable to access, appropriate medical care."
Study participants reported their reluctance was due to concerns around discrimination and stigma from healthcare workers, past negative experiences when seeking help, concerns regarding the repercussions of their seeking healthcare and a lack of social supports or financial stability.
They therefore relied on support from other injecting peers and the needle exchanges, he said.
"Almost all participants reported an unwillingness to seek healthcare.
"This is of particular concern for the almost half of our sample who’d experienced at least one severe injecting-related injury or disease, for whom delays to medical care could have posed life-threatening implications."
He said the study results highlighted the importance of expanding harm-reduction services in New Zealand, and the further de-stigmatisation of healthcare to ensure access to these vulnerable and marginalised communities.
"There is a real need for a health service within harm-reduction services to ensure both prevention and early intervention of injecting injuries.
"This will lead to much better outcomes for patients and be enormously cost-effective compared to late-stage illness presenting to the ED."
He believed the needle exchanges could form "a point of connection" to other services, or a site to provide healthcare access.
Senior author and University of Otago (Christchurch) population health department lecturer Dr Rose Crossin said needle exchanges were trusted by their clients, and provided an opportunity for other wraparound healthcare, harm-reduction and social services.
"It is important that the needle exchanges are appropriately funded to fulfil these vital functions," she said.
The researchers said the study findings would provide important preliminary data on injecting-related injuries and diseases for New Zealand — an area that was deficient in present healthcare knowledge, with limited data on the burden or impact of injuries and diseases, or how mainstream healthcare systems such as hospitals and general practitioners were treating these injuries.
