Self-assessment of the level of disparaging (discrimination) of Intravenous drugs addicts in Novi Sad by health workers // Samoprocena nivoa omalovažavanja (diskriminacije) intravenskih narkomana u Novom Sadu od strane zdravstvenih radnika

Abstract

In 1969, the World Health Organization (WHO) gave the following definition of the drug: “Drugs are any substance that, inserted into the body, can modify one or more functions.” The main goal of our research was to self-assess the level of discrimination by injecting drug users by medical personnel. A cross-section study was conducted, which included respondents using psychoactive substances (PAS) injecting from the Novi Sad area involved in the preventive program of the NGO “Entuzijazam mladih protiv narkomanije-Prevent”. Respondents completed a questionnaire of 27 questions, 21 questions of closed type, and 5 open types.
The research involved 100 respondents (16 women and 64 men). The respondents most frequently used marijuana (100% of respondents), heroin 97%, cocaine in 31% compared to the total number of respondents. 40% of respondents experienced discrimination by a general practitioner simply because they use PAS, 28.6% of respondents experience a discrimination by dentists; 22.6% of respondents have an experience of discrimination by doctors of other specialties only because they use PAS. 56% of respondents in our sample know that the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination has been passed.
People who use PAS by injecting a young person come into contact with the PAS and begin to consume it, at the age of 16. PAS users stated that they were discriminated against by general practitioners, dentists and doctors of other specialties.