Reducing HIV/AIDS Transmission- The Case for Providing Free Syringes to Injection Drug Users

Reducing HIV/AIDS Transmission- The Case for Providing Free Syringes to Injection Drug Users

Hello Lacy Sena,

            Thank you for your post. I agree with your opinion that free syringes should be provided to drug addicts in an effort to reduce the transmission of diseases, specifically HIV, among the users. According to the CDC, having a substance disorder is one of the significant risk factors for contracting HIV (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Injection drug use is a direct route of transmitting HIV from one person to another, so if drug users were to share a needle while one of them is infected, it puts them at a hundred percent probability of contracting the disease, supposing one of them is infected. Notably, the lack of syringes will not stop addicts from taking drugs because they will take the risk of sharing the needles, which then creates another problem on top of drug use, which is increasing the prevalence of HIV. Communities then end up having two challenging situations to deal with. As such it is only sensible that there are measures such as providing new free syringes to drug addicts which prevent the spread of the disease, leaving only one issue that has to be dealt with at that point is drug use.

In addition, syringe services programs provide additional health services, which can be accessed by people who inject drugs. An example of such programs is HIV testing and treatment as well as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP). HIV testing will inform the drug user of their HIV status so that they can start treatment if need be and be aware of not sharing their needle with others. Secondly, HIV PreP reduces the chances of contracting HIV from injection drug use by approximately 74% (Choopanya et al., 2013).  I agree with you that providing syringes to drug users empowers and protects them from the vulnerabilities that come with addiction, particularly HIV AIDS.

References

Choopanya, K., Martin, M., Suntharasamai, P., Sangkum, U., Mock, P. A., Leethochawalit, M., … & Vanichseni, S. (2013). Antiretroviral prophylaxis for HIV infection in injecting drug users in Bangkok, Thailand (the Bangkok Tenofovir Study): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. The Lancet, 381(9883), 2083-2090.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, April 21). HIV and substance use. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/hiv-transmission/substance-use.html

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Lacy Sena

After reading the chapter on HIV/AIDS, I believe we should be giving free syringes to addicts. This stance is informed by compelling evidence from research studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of such interventions in reducing the risk of disease transmission among injection drug users. The findings from a study in Spain showed that a substantial increase in the availability of free or subsidized sterile syringes was accompanied by a sharp decrease in the number of new drug injectors (Bravo et al., 2007). This highlights the potential of this approach to deter individuals from initiating injecting drug use. The study suggests that providing free syringes can effectively reduce the number of people injecting drugs, offering a non-judgmental, accessible solution that recognizes the realities of substance use disorders while prioritizing public health.

Reducing HIV-AIDS Transmission- The Case for Providing Free Syringes to Injection Drug Users

Another study examining the impact of syringe services programs (SSPs) on injection drug users (IDUs) found that trends in syringe sharing among IDUs were closely associated with SSP access (Nassau et al., 2020). This research underscores the critical role of SSPs in promoting safer injection practices and reducing the spread of bloodborne pathogens like HIV/AIDS. When SSPs were more accessible, IDUs were less likely to share syringes, indicating that increased access to free or low-cost syringes through SSPs can reduce syringe sharing and encourage healthier, less risky behaviors among this population.

These studies suggest that providing free syringes to addicts is a highly effective harm-reduction strategy that can significantly reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission and improve overall public health outcomes for injection drug users. By making clean injection supplies readily available, we can empower individuals struggling with substance use disorders to make choices that prioritize their health and well-being, while also contributing to the broader goal of reducing the burden of infectious diseases in our communities.