Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
NEEDLE AND SYRINGE EXCHANGE AS A METHOD OF AIDS EPIDEMIC CONTROL
AIDS Updates; 2(5):1-8 1989. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/90660518 Joseph SC; Des Jarlais DC; Dept. of Health, New York, NY
Abstract:
The use of needle and syringe exchanges as a method of preventing HIV infection among people who inject illicit drugs is reviewed, and a case history of the pilot exchange program in New York City is presented. In addition to reducing the spread of HIV infection, syringe exchange programs provide for safe disposal of possibly contaminated injection equipment and, even more importantly, provide opportunities for delivering additional health-related services such as referrals for drug-abuse treatment and counseling about sexual transmission of HIV. Problems associated with the operation of a syringe exchange include community acceptance, acceptance by drug-injecting clients, and coverage of each of the many injections of the drug user. Rigorous, scientific evaluation of the effectiveness of exchange programs is extremely difficult, but all of the studies that have been conducted consistently report that participation is associated with reduction, but not elimination, of transmission of HIV. The available data do not support the proposition that exchanges lead to increased drug injection, and, in fact, the New York City exchange program is proving highly effective as a supportive bridge to drug treatment programs. The authors argue that the New York City program is helping to change and save the lives of a limited number of iv drug users and should be expanded and adapted by other communities as one element in a comprehensive AIDS prevention program. (15 Refs)
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PREVENTION & CONTROL Disease Outbreaks/*PREVENTION & CONTROL Human *Needles New York City Risk Factors *Substance Abuse, Intravenous *Syringes JOURNAL ARTICLE 910228
M9120719
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
