Open AccessRisk reduction among intravenous drug users in Amsterdam under the influence of AIDS.
Author(s) -
Janet Hoek,
H. J. A. Van Haastrecht,
Roel A. Coutinho
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.79.10.1355
Subject(s) - serostatus , syringe , medicine , intravenous drug , needle sharing , drug , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , harm reduction , injection drug use , emergency medicine , family medicine , drug injection , viral disease , psychiatry , viral load , syphilis , condom
We evaluated the impact of a needle/syringe exchange program among 263 drug users in the period December 1985 to April 1988. Participants in this study were asked about their risk-behavior at three different visits. We found no increase in the proportion injecting drugs or in the frequency of intravenous drug use. A strong decrease in borrowing and lending of used needle/syringes was found and this behavioral change was not dependent on learning human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serostatus. Although use of the exchange program increased over time, reduction in needle sharing was mainly an effect of the study with only a limited impact of the exchange program. We conclude that ample provision of needles and syringes is an important starting point but in itself not enough to produce the necessary drastic change in risk behavior. Intensive counseling of the drug user is also needed.