Deep Vein Thromboses in Injecting Drug Users: Meanings, Bodily Experiences, and Stigma

Clinical Research Director for the Transform Research Alliance, Dr Nat Wright, has co-authored a new paper, published in Qualitative Health Research.

The article, published in May 2019, explores meanings and experiences of Deep Vein Thromboses in injecting drug users. Following 19 interviews, themes were report pertaining to meaning, bodily experience and stigma.

The most pertinent worry was amputation. Patients recognised 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.