People Who Inject Drugs

As HIV transmission via injection drugs are increasing, knowing the variation in which the the transmission occurs can be beneficial in treatment and intervention. Authors of the study look into the frequency and distribution of HIV transmission behaviors among people who use drugs in rural areas to possibly determine if interventions could be universally effective. Data collected in the study suggests that there are many variations in the transmission behaviors.

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.

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.

Background: Sharp exacerbations of the US overdose crisis are linked to polysubstance use of synthetic compounds. Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer, long noted in the street opioid supply of Puerto Rico, and more recently Philadelphia. Yet its national trends, geographic distribution, and health risks are poorly characterized. Methods: In this sequential mixed-methods study, xylazine was increasingly observed by ethnographers in Philadelphia among drug-sellers and people who inject drugs (PWID). Subsequently, we systematically searched for records describing xylazine-present overdose mortality across the US and assessed time trends and overlap with other drugs

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine defines stigma as a range of negative attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that are associated with certain conditions such as addiction. Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), has been a leading voice in talking about the “chilling effect” stigma has on our ability to address substance use and addiction in our country. In an April 2020 perspective piece published in the New England Journal of Medicine and in her NIDA blog piece, Dr. Volkow explains how stigma can prevent people from seeking care and can even contribute to their continuing addiction. We encourage our visitors to read Dr. Volkow’s writings as well as to familiarize themselves with the efforts to reduce stigma led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) including the NIH HEAL InitiativeSM, which has made addressing stigma a key element in their efforts to address opioid addiction.

The workshop presented strategies to integrate HIV, hepatitis, and sexual health concerns into services for PWID. The session will focus on communication skills, assessment techniques, and building motivation among PWID to make healthier choices. Mr. Sacco looked at programmatic and clinical-level integration strategies and offered participants an opportunity to assess current service delivery models and develop a plan to enhance care. Mrs. Bell and Ms. Chavis intrdoduce participants to resources and funding opportunities available through HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB).

The UNODC Regional Program Office for Eastern Europe (Kiev, Ukraine), in collaboration with the Humanitarian Action Fund (St. Petersburg, Russia), issues recommendations on web outreach for people who use drugs (PWUD), including people who use new psychoactive substances (NPS). Web outreach is a method of establishing contact, counseling, involving and retaining PWUD in harm reduction programs through websites, social networks, instant messengers, specialized forums, including Darknet platforms.

In spring 2021, pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors notified syringe services programs (SSPs) and partners that there would be significant interruptions in the supply of injectable/intramuscular (IM) naloxone. Currently, production and distribution delays are expected to last until fall 2021. This will specifically affect SSPs because IM naloxone is the most affordable formulation, and therefore is most commonly utilized by programs that distribute large volumes of naloxone to reduce fatal overdose rates. 

This guide presents practical information on establishing and maintaining syringe services in rural and tribal communities based on experiences of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.