NDRI now recruiting men in WA who inject PIEDs

June 2018

NDRI’s ARC-funded research on performance and image enhancing drug (PIED) use in Australia is well underway. After a successful recruitment period in Victoria, the Melbourne-based Social Studies of Addiction Concepts (SSAC) research team is interviewing in New South Wales and Queensland, and has recently begun recruiting in Western Australia as well.

PIED use is increasing in Australia and can be associated with serious health issues, including hepatitis C transmission where injection occurs. However, little is currently known about PIED injecting, and Australia’s harm reduction framework is unprepared to meet the challenges it poses. This project aims to better understand who takes PIEDs, when, why and how, and to create new knowledge on the health information needs of this cohort. The research expects to directly inform policy and practice, aiming to help minimise hepatitis C transmission among men who inject PIEDs. This study has received ethics approval from Curtin University’s Human Research Ethics Committee.

Interviews are approximately an hour-long, confidential and anonymous. The interviews will be conducted in a convenient location to the participant or via telephone. For further information, please check the project website or contact Research Officer Renae Fomiatti on 03 9079 2204/ 0413 952 169 or renae.fomiatti@curtin.edu.au.