Study: closure of W.Va. needle exchange program increased health risks for intravenous drug users - Entrepreneur Generations

Intravenous drug users in Charleston, West Virginia, and the rural areas near it, are at a higher risk of bloodborne diseases and overdoses after a health department program was shuttered, according to a newly published study from Johns Hopkins University.

The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department opened the program in December 2015, and provided a needle exchange, doses of the drug-overdose reversing drug naloxone, and testing for infectious diseases associated with intravenous drug users like HIV and hepatitis C. "But the politics in Charleston around the program shifted during its existence. Restrictions were placed on the syringe services program, known as an SSP, and local politicians began criticizing the health department in the media, claiming the city was experiencing a spike in crime because of the syringe program," Ashton Marra reports for 100 Days in Appalachia. The program closed by early 2018 because of local pushback.

The researchers interviewed 27 adults who had used the Charleston program. Most participants were homeless and had used intravenous drugs within the past month. They told the researchers that they have engaged in riskier behavior since the program closed because it's now more difficult to access clean needles. "One participant said he found used needles on the street and would bleach them before use," Marra reports.

Female participants said they believed they were at a greater risk of contracting HIV since the SSP's closure, and both genders said they were less likely to seek testing for HIV and other infectious diseases. Many said they knew testing was available elsewhere, but said they had been treated poorly at other clinics or nearby hospitals. They preferred the Charleston SSP, they said, because staff there treated them with respect and compassion.

"The study attempted to fill a gap in the research about how these programs affect rural areas, but existing studies showed that a syringe exchange program reduces the rates and spread of HIV and other infectious diseases in a place, which leads to not just healthier communities, but also cost savings," Marra reports. "The programs also provide access to overdose-reversing drugs that save lives and allow for greater access to information that can lead to rehabilitation and recovery."

The researchers urged rural policymakers to "take a stand against inaccurate and misleading reports about SSPs and enact immediate plans to ensure…access to sterile injection equipment and overdose prevention resources." Ignoring the evidence that SSP programs work "not only presents an ethical and moral dilemma, but also sets the stage for an HIV outbreak and worsening overdose epidemic," the researchers write.

from The Rural Blog http://bit.ly/2QtosJS Study: closure of W.Va. needle exchange program increased health risks for intravenous drug users - Entrepreneur Generations

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