| Term Paper Title | Needle Exchange Programs |
| # of Words | 2661 |
| # of Pages (250 words per page double spaced) | 10.64 |
Needle Exchange Programs
More than a million people in the United States inject drugs, at a cost to society (in
health care, lost productivity, accidents, and crime) of more than fifty billion dollars a year.
(Holland n.p.). According to the Department of Health and Human Services, there were
216,000 heroin addicts nationwide in 1996, the latest year for which statistics are
available.(Wickenheiser n.p.) One third of all AIDS cases are due to injection drug use.
For women, sixty-four percent of all AIDS cases are due to injection drug use, or sex with
partners who inject drugs (Holland n.p.).
Needle exchange programs found around the world as well as one-hundred and
thirteen found within the United States, "have sprung up to address drug injection drug
users" (Perlman A9). Needle exchange programs are a simple, cost effective way to
reduce needle sharing, decrease the transmission of HIV/AIDS, increase the safe disposal
of used needles, provide information to injecting drug users (IDU's), and help others
obtain drug treatment.(Knox A1)
Most needle exchange programs operate on the principle of "a one for one
exchange" (Wren 2).The user receives one clean needle for every used needle he/she
brings. The vast majority of needle exchange sites are storefronts, street exchanges by
outreach workers, and scheduled mobile van stops at designated streets such as AHOPE
(Addicts Health Opportunity and Exchange located in Boston). In addition to providing
needles, the programs distribute alcohol swabs, medicative ointments, vials of bleach,
instructions in the use of condoms and other safer-sex measures, and also refer thousands
of injection drug users to drug abuse treatment programs. (Knox A1)These products are
distributed for free, in hope of decreasing the amount of HIV/AIDS cases.
Needle exchange programs reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. As the use of needle
exchange increases, the use of shared needles decreases. A 1994 study of New York City
IUDs concluded that "regular participation in these syringe exchange programs would
reduce the risk of HIV infection by approximately half" (Holland n.p.).
In New Haven, CT, a study tested needles returned to the needle exchange, and
developed a mathematical model that estimated a possible thirty-three percent reduction in
the rate of new HIV infections among needle exchange program clients.(Wren 2) Also, in
New York City, a large comprehensive study of needle exchange programs found that the
rate of new HIV infections for participants in the exchange was two percent. This rate is
much lower than the estimated four to seven percent HIV infection rate among
intravenous drug users not enrolled in the exchange. The study also found that among
clients, using rented syringes decreased seventy-five percent, using borrowed syringes
decreased sixty-two percent, and using alcohol wipes before injecting went up one
hundred and fifty percent.(Wren 2)
Needle exchange programs have also achieved reductions in the rate of hepatitis B
infection, which can also be spread through sharing needles. (Holland n.p.) In Tacoma,
WA, clients of a needle exchange program were up to eight times less likely to contract
hepatitis B and C than non-client intravenous drug users.(Holland n.p.) Reducing the
spread of HIV and other viruses will save the world billions of dollars per year.
Needle exchange programs are an extremely cost effective way to fight AIDS. By
1994, 125,000 people had developed AIDS as a result of injecting drugs with unsterile
syringes.(Knox A1) Over a third of new AIDS cases stem from injection drug use. AIDS
is the leading cause of death among all Americans aged twenty-five to forty-four. As more
and more people contract HIV through dirty needles, the proportion of all AIDS patients
who are injecting drug users, their sexual partners, or their children is growing. (Wren 2)
In 1995 the cumulative cost in the United States of treating all people with HIV or AIDS
"was $15.2 billion" (Wren 2). Needle exchange programs have a median annual budget...Read entire document
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