{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T15:34:49Z","timestamp":1780500889804,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,23]],"date-time":"2020-08-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1598140800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Institute of Tropical Medicine"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The decreasing age of young people injecting illicit drugs is an under-reported challenge for the prevention of HIV transmission worldwide. Young people aged 15\u201324 years represent 1 in 5 persons living with HIV in Mauritius where the epidemic is driven by injecting drug use and risky sexual behaviours. We recruited 22 heroin users aged 18\u201324 and 5 service providers working in harm reduction (HR) for the present study. Qualitative data were collected through unstructured interviews. We adopted an economic framework and an inductive approach to the analysis, which implied revising codes and themes. The risks heroin users described as consumers of illicit drugs and as clients of HR services could not be analyzed in isolation. Polydrug use emerged as a recurrent coping mechanism resulting from the changing dynamics within the heroin market. The risks faced by women went beyond addiction and infection with HIV. How participants viewed the risks and benefits linked to using heroin was greatly influenced by gaps in knowledge that left room for uncertainty and reinforcing mechanisms such as peer influence. The study shows that qualitative research can produce in-depth socio-behavioural insights required to produce more effective services for young people.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17176126","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,23]],"date-time":"2020-08-23T21:28:06Z","timestamp":1598218086000},"page":"6126","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Exploring the Perceived Risks and Benefits of Heroin Use among Young People (18\u201324 Years) in Mauritius: Economic Insights from an Exploratory Qualitative Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Gareth","family":"White","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Policy and Financing Unit, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Susan E.","family":"Luczak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1061, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bernard","family":"Mundia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kenya AIDS NGO Consortium, Regent Court, P.O Box 69866-00400 Nairobi, Kenya"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3961-3205","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Smita","family":"Goorah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, R\u00e9duit 80837, Mauritius"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Ministry of Health and Quality of Life (2020, June 23). Health Statistics Report 2017, Available online: http:\/\/health.govmu.org\/English\/Statistics\/Health\/Mauritius\/Pages\/default.aspx."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.2989\/16085906.2018.1462216","article-title":"Programmatic mapping to determine the size and dynamics of sex work and injecting drug use in Mauritius","volume":"17","author":"Pathack","year":"2018","journal-title":"Afr. J. Aids Res."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Ministry of Health and Quality of Life (2016). National Drug Observatory Report, Ministry of Health and Quality of Life."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Prevention Information et Lutte contre le Sida\/Talor Nelson Sofres (2020, June 23). Image and Perceptions of Drugs in Mauritius. Available online: http:\/\/pils.mu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/TNS-Image-and-perception-of-drugs-in-Mauritius.pdf."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, National AIDS Secretariat (2020, June 23). Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey among People Who Inject Drugs 2017: A Respondent Driven Survey (RDS) among People Who Inject Drugs [PWIDs] in the Island of Mauritius. Available online: http:\/\/cut.mu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/IBBS-Survey-report-for-PWIDs-2017.pdf."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2020, June 23). World Drug Report 2010 Annex 8.4 Price and Purity. Available online: www.unodc.org\u203afield\u203a8.4_Price_Purity_Opioids.xlsx."},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2020, June 23). World Drug Report 2005, Volume 2, Section 7.1: Opiates: Wholesale, Street Prices and Purity Levels. Available online: https:\/\/www.unodc.org\/pdf\/WDR_2005\/volume_2_chap7_opiates.pdf."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"Ministry of Health and Quality of Life (2020, June 23). 2nd National Drug Observatory Report, Available online: http:\/\/health.govmu.org\/English\/Documents\/2018\/NDO_MOH_FINAL_JOSE_VERSION_05July_2018Brown.pdf."},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"(2020, June 23). UNAIDS 2018 Country Data for Mauritius. Available online: https:\/\/www.unaids.org\/en\/regionscountries\/countries\/mauritius."},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"Ministry of Health & Quality of Life (2020, June 23). HIV\/AIDS Statistics, Available online: http:\/\/health.govmu.org\/English\/Documents\/2018\/HIVDec%202017.pdf."},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"Collectif Urgence Toxida (2017). Internal Monitoring & Evaluation Reports, Collectif Urgence Toxida."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"Ministry of Health & Quality of Life (2017). Internal Monitoring & Evaluation Reports, Ministry of Health and Quality of Life."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"263","DOI":"10.2307\/1914185","article-title":"Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk","volume":"47","author":"Kahneman","year":"1979","journal-title":"Econometrica"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tony, M. (2011). Drugs and Crime. The Oxford Handbook of Crime and Criminal Justice, Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordhb\/9780195395082.001.0001"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1057\/palgrave.emr.1500053","article-title":"Qualitative research: Does it fit in economics?","volume":"3","author":"Piore","year":"2006","journal-title":"Eur. Manag. Rev."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1016\/j.copsyc.2015.03.012","article-title":"Risk Perception and Health Behaviour","volume":"5","author":"Ferrer","year":"2015","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"208","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-9566.ep10934410","article-title":"Risk Theory in Epidemic Times: Sex, Drugs and the Social Organisation of \u2018Risk Behaviour\u2019","volume":"19","author":"Rhodes","year":"1997","journal-title":"Sociol. Health Illn."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rhodes, T., Wagner, K., Strathdee, S.A., Shannon, K., Davidson, P., and Bourgois, P. (2011). Structural Violence and Structural Vulnerability Within the Risk Environment: Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives for a Social Epidemiology of HIV Risk Among Injection Drug Users and Sex Workers. Rethinking Social Epidemiology, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-007-2138-8_10"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugalcdep.2006.11.021","article-title":"The effects of price and perceived quality on the behavioural economics of alcohol, amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, and ecstasy purchases","volume":"89","author":"Goudie","year":"2007","journal-title":"Drug Alcohol Depend."},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Creswell, J.W. (1998). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Traditions, Sage Publications."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Glaser, B.G., and Strauss, A.L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research, Aldine Publishing Company.","DOI":"10.1097\/00006199-196807000-00014"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1111\/1745-9125.12202","article-title":"Putting a price on drugs: An economic sociological study of price formation in illegal drug markets","volume":"57","author":"Moller","year":"2019","journal-title":"Criminology"},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2020, June 23). World Drug Report 2018: Drugs and Age Drugs and Associated Issues among Young People and Older People. Available online: https:\/\/www.unodc.org\/wdr2018\/prelaunch\/WDR18_Booklet_4_YOUTH.pdf."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugpo.2015.08.010","article-title":"Heroin Shortage in Coastal Kenya: A Rapid Assessment and Qualitative Analysis of Heroin Users\u2019 Experiences","volume":"30","author":"Mital","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Drug Policy"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Garami, J., Haber, P., Myers, C.E., Allen, M.T., Misiak, B., Frydecka, D., and Moustafa, A.A. (2017). Intolerance of Uncertainty in Opioid Dependency\u2014Relationship With Trait Anxiety and Impulsivity. PLoS ONE, 12.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0181955"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"146","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugpo.2017.06.004","article-title":"Heroin Uncertainties: Exploring Users\u2019 Perceptions of Fentanyl-Adulterated and Substituted \u2018Heroin\u2019","volume":"46","author":"Ciccarone","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. Drug Policy"},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Prevention Information et Lutte Contre le Sida (2020, June 23). The People Living with HIV Stigma Index. Available online: http:\/\/pils.mu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/STIGMA_F.pdf."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"254","DOI":"10.1038\/npp.2013.261","article-title":"The Development and Maintenance of Drug Addiction","volume":"39","author":"Wise","year":"2014","journal-title":"Neuropsychopharmacology"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugalcdep.2003.12.006","article-title":"A systematic review of the effectiveness of the community reinforcement approach in alcohol, cocaine and opioid addiction","volume":"74","author":"Roozenab","year":"2004","journal-title":"Drug Alcohol Depend."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1186\/s12954-018-0214-1","article-title":"They accept me, because I was one of them: Formative qualitative research supporting the feasibility of peer-led outreach for people who use drugs in Dakar, Senegal","volume":"15","author":"Stengel","year":"2018","journal-title":"Harm Reduct. J."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/17\/17\/6126\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T10:05:25Z","timestamp":1760177125000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/17\/17\/6126"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,23]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"17","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,9]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph17176126"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph17176126","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,23]]}}}