Abstract
Ethical Considerations for Using Biometric Enrollment Technology With Persons who Injection Drugs in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
Drug and alcohol dependence, v 267, S99
01 Feb 2025
Abstract
Aim: To assess the privacy concerns, enrollment apprehensions and accuracy of survey responses of person who inject drugs (PWID) who may participate in future studies that incorporate biometric identification technology [biometrics].
Methods: We conducted 30 in-depth interviews with PWID from July to October 2023 who were 18 years old, injected drugs (past 30-days), Spanish-speaking and lived in Ciudad Juárez. Screening and recruitment were conducted during outreach services by a harm reduction organization, Programa Companeros. Interviewers showed four common biometric technologies on an iPad: finger, hand, face and iris scans, which were followed with prompts to elicit discussion on ethical concerns. Participants were paid $30 USD.
Results: Thirty participants, included 8 women, with a median age of 43 years (range 21-65 years). All participants injected heroin, 12 experienced incarceration (previous year), and 3 experienced deportations (previous 5 years.) Participants expressed fewer concerns for the finger and hand biometrics due to familiarity within courthouses, voting, and police settings. Participants were least familiar with the iris biometric, often requesting additional explanations defining an iris and the technology. Iris and face scans were least trusted technologies, with participants fearing unfair persecution by law enforcement, invasion of privacy, and identity fraud, which would negatively impact their willingness to participate in studies and give honest information to studies asking sensitive questions. Additionally, iris and face biometrics contributed to poor mental health and self-esteem, explaining seeing their facial deterioration was a reminder of their drug dependence.
Conclusions: Biometric technology is being employed in cohort studies globally to a) prevent double-enrollment, b) streamline check-in processes and c) reduce data-entry errors; however, iris and facial biometrics were most likely to impose ethical challenges for PWID. Education for biometric use is critical to promote study participation, and where possible, additional legal protections should be secured to limit the ethical challenges
Metrics
6 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Ethical Considerations for Using Biometric Enrollment Technology With Persons who Injection Drugs in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
- Creators
- Lidia Rodriguez Garcia - University of California, San FranciscoSusana Villa Lobos Alavez - Programa CompañerosMiguel Ángel Jácome Santos - Programa CompañerosJulia Lechuga - Hunter CollegeJorge Salazar - University of California, San FranciscoMaria Elena Ramos Rodriguez - Programa CompañerosJohn A. Sauceda - University of California, San FranciscoAlexis M. Roth - Drexel University, Dana and David Dornsife School of Public HealthNatasha T. Ludwig-Barron - University of California, San Francisco
- Publication Details
- Drug and alcohol dependence, v 267, S99
- Conference
- 2024 Annual Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (Montreal, Canada, 15 Jun 2024–19 Jun 2024)
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 1
- Grant note
- Financial Support: This research is made possible by the Fordham University HIV/Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute (2R25DA031608-13; sub-PI: Ludwig-Barron) National Institute of Mental Health through a Kirschstein National Research Service Award (T32 MH19105-34; PI: Kegeles), UCSF Traineeship for AIDS/HIV Prevention Studies, UCSF CAPS Center Grant (2P30MH062246-22; sub-PI: Ludwig-Barron); and National Institute of Drug Abuse (R01DA053659; MPI: Lechuga and Sauceda).
- Resource Type
- Abstract
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001460387700018
- Other Identifier
- 991022027437704721
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychiatry
- Substance Abuse