Resources
11 Results (showing 1 - 10)
Results sorted by posted date (oldest first)
Results sorted by posted date (oldest first)
Posted 1/24/2020 (updated 3/28/2024)
Harm Reduction Coalition is a national advocacy and capacity-building organization that works to promote the health and dignity of individuals and communities who are impacted by drug use.
Posted 8/11/2020 (updated 3/28/2024)
Sonoran Prevention Works is an advocate for people in Arizona affected by drug use. Spanish language resources from Ssamaritan PAWZ are included.
Posted 11/11/2020 (updated 4/3/2024)
West Virginia leads the nation in overdose death rate and both counties where participants were interviewed for this study were considered to be at risk for an HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs. This study asked the question ‘What on-the-ground environmental factors among PWIH could be contributing to this overdose rate?
Posted 1/20/2021 (updated 4/4/2024)
People who use drugs (PWUD) in the U.S. experience disproportionate adverse health outcomes and mortality as compared with the population as a whole (Lake & Kennedy, 2016; Reisinger, Pratt, Shoenborn, & Druss, 2017). Similar health outcomes have been reported elsewhere, for example in the UK (Neale, 2004), and across 8 other European countries (Bargagli et al., 2006). In the U.S. health outcomes among PWUD are intensified by the overdose pandemic, epidemic rates of HIV, hepatitis A and C, skin and soft tissue infections (CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020; Hagen, Thiede, & Des Jarlais, 2005; Scholl, Seth, Kariisa, Wilson, & Baldwin, 2019), and by structural barriers thwarting health access and utilization.
Posted 1/27/2021 (updated 4/4/2024)
The current study examined the accuracy of sensory discernment strategies by measuring study participants’ descriptions of the last opioid injected and checked with a fentanyl test strip (FTS) by that test's positive/negative result. The primary objective was to determine associations between FTS results and descriptions of the illi it opioid's physical appearance and physiological effects.
Posted 3/10/2021 (updated 4/5/2024)
There are safe ways to dispose of syringes you find on the ground. Sharing injection drug equipment can transmit infections, but there is little risk to someone who is accidentally poked or scratched by a discarded syringe.
Below you'll find information on how to pick them up, where to drop them off, and ways to get involved in cleaning up your neighborhood.
Engagement in drug treatment following nonfatal overdose among people who inject drugs in Appalachia
Posted 6/2/2021 (updated 4/10/2024)
Immediately after experiencing a non-fatal overdose, many people who inject drugs (PWID) engage in harm-minimizing behavior change, including engagement in drug treatment. To inform the implementation of tailored interventions designed to facilitate drug treatment engagement in rural communities, we sought to identify correlates of starting any form of drug treatment after their most recent overdose among PWID who reside in a rural county in West Virginia.
Posted 7/7/2021 (updated 4/2/2024)
Background: Injecting drug users (IDUs) are at increased risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV and other bloodborne pathogens through the multi-person use of syringes. Although research has shown that increased access to syringes through syringe exchange programs (SEPs) is an effective strategy to reduce risky injection practices many areas of the United States still do not have SEPs. In the absence of SEPs, legislation allowing pharmacies over-the-counter sales of syringes has also been shown to reduce syringe sharing. The success of pharmacy sales however is limited by other legal stipulations, such as drug paraphernalia laws, which in turn may contribute to fear among IDUs about being caught purchasing and carrying syringes.
Posted 3/21/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
People who inject drugs (PWID) are likely to experience wounds and infection related to their injection drug use. Common wounds and infections experienced by PWID include blood poisoning (septicemia), infection of the heart lining (endocarditis), tetanus, hepatitis, bruising, collapsed veins, abscesses and blood clots. Preventing and caring for wounds in PWID requires special consideration of the conditions surrounding drug use.
Posted 3/21/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
Syringe services programs (SSPs) remain highly effective, cost-saving interventions for the prevention of blood-borne infections among people who inject drugs. However, there have been restrictions regarding financial resources allocated to these programs, particularly in the US South. This study aimed to provide cost data regarding the implementation and first-year operations of an academic-based SSP utilizing fixed and mobile strategies, including the integration of onsite wound care.