Injecting Drug Use and HIV Infection -- Intervention Strategies for Harm Minimization (From AIDS: Social Representations, Social Practices, P 199-210, 1989, Peter Aggleton, Graham Hart, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-130840)

• NCJ Number: 130852
• Author(s): G Mulleady; G Hart; P Aggleton
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 12 pages
• Sale Source: Taylor & Francis Inc.
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: Paper presented at the Second United Kingdom Conference on Social Aspects of AIDS, 1987, London

Annotation

Strategies that can be used to reduce the spread of HIV infection among injection drug users are reviewed that focus on the concept of harm minimization.

Abstract

Harm minimization has two complementary dimensions. The first, which falls into the category of primary prevention, involves persuading individuals not to start injecting illicit drugs. The second aims to reduce the harm associated with injecting drug use, both for the individual and the community. Preventive and harm minimization interventions that can be used with injecting drug users include behavioral change, methadone treatment, HIV antibody testing, syringe exchange schemes, outreach work, self-help, and community care. It is possible to combine interventions to produce discrete packages for individual users. Thus, for some individuals, methadone treatment can be combined with the increased availability of injecting equipment and participation in a self-help group. Increased access to counseling, medical and family planning care, housing, rehabilitation skills training, advocacy, and health education may all be necessary at some point. 27 references