Comprehensive Approach: Preventing Blood-Borne Infections Among Injection Drug Users

This monograph provides a comprehensive approach to addressing the injection drug user's (IDUs) role in the HIV epidemic and recommends strategies for community groups, agencies, and providers to help reduce the IDU's sexual and drug-use risks of HIV transmission. It discusses incorporating prevention strategies that address IDUs differing life circumstances, cultures and languages, behaviors, and readiness to change; how IDUs play a key role in the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne infections; the limited prevention options for IDUs based on legal, social, and policy climates; and the eight key strategies for preventing HIV and blood-borne diseases among IDUs including (1) substance abuse treatment; (2) community outreach; (3) interventions to increase access to sterile syringes; (4) interventions in the criminal justice system; (5) strategies to prevent sexual transmission; (6) HIV counseling and testing, partner counseling and referral services, and prevention case management; (7) coordinated services for IDUs living with HIV/AIDS; and (8) primary drug prevention. The appendix details the eight key strategies and describes the service or intervention, explains its importance, provides findings from research and programs, and describes the issues and barriers facing providers and agencies in that area.