This page highlights an emerging public health and policy issue-increasing access to sterile syringes as a public health measure to reduce the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne diseases among injection drug users. Current strategies for increasing access to syringes include: needle exchange programs, removal of legal barriers to the sale and possession of syringes, and physician prescription of syringes. These strategies should be part of a comprehensive approach to preventing blood-borne infections among IDUs that includes primary drug prevention, substance abuse treatment and other key strategies.
Support for Increasing Syringe Access
Related USCM Publications
Important Links
A Comprehensive Approach: Preventing Blood-borne Infections Among Injection Drug Users
http://www.cdc.gov/IDU
Technical assistance documents that describe complementary strategies for addressing blood-borne infections among injection drug users (IDUs). Includes helpful fact sheets that highlight various aspects of expanding syringe access for IDUs.
Deregulation of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes as a Public Health Measure: A Report on Emerging Policy and Law in the United States, American Bar Association, AIDS Coordinating Committee, 2001
http://www.abanet.org/irr/aidsproject/publications/needles.pdf
Provides an overview of current efforts to remove legal barriers to syringe access at the state level.
Please check back for periodic updates.
