Sterile needles and the epidemic of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: issues for drug abuse treatment and public health. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Sterile needles and the epidemic of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: issues for drug abuse treatment and public health.

Adv Alcohol Subst Abuse. 1987;7(2):99-105. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/88207000
Selwyn PA; Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Montefiore; Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467.

Abstract: The debate over the provision of sterile injection equipment to intravenous drug users, as a means of preventing the spread of the AIDS epidemic, has a number of political, ethical, and clinical implications. The issue has in some respects been inappropriately dichotomized as a conflict between public health agendas and the traditional priorities of drug treatment. The relevant issues include: (1) the existence of evidence for needle-sharing as a route of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus among intravenous drug users; (2) the role of needle scarcity as a factor promoting needle-sharing behavior, and evidence for the ability of drug users to change such behavior; (3) the possibility of increased needle availability leading to increased prevalence of intravenous drug abuse; (4) the possibility that the provision of sterile needles would compromise treatment efforts among drug abusers currently or potentially engaged in the treatment system. These issues are discussed in light of relevant existing data; a multilevel strategy for AIDS prevention among drug users is suggested, addressing both the availability of sterile injection equipment and the promotion of drug treatment goals.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PREVENTION & CONTROL Disease Outbreaks/*PREVENTION & CONTROL Human Injections, Intravenous/INSTRUMENTATION *Needles *Public Health Risk Factors *Sterilization Substance Abuse/*REHABILITATION Substance Dependence/REHABILITATION JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/KWDprevention&controldiseaseoutbreaks/KWDprevention&controlhumaninjections,intravenous/instrumentationKWDneedlesKWDpublichealthriskfactorsKWDsterilizationsubstanceabuse/KWDrehabilitationsubstancedependence/rehabilitationjournalarticle
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M8880524

Copyright © 1988 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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