A pilot syringe exchange program in Washington, DC.
The Washington, DC City Council authorized a pilot syringe exchange program to operate for only 60 days at a single drug abuse treatment facility in the District. Only adults on the waiting list for treatment were eligible (n = 467). Of the 33 who enrolled, median duration of drug injection was 18 years. Twenty-seven participants denied needle sharing. Of 209 needles distributed, 69% were returned. Low enrollment might have been due to restrictive entry criteria, inconvenient location, incorrect syringe size, and attitudes of treatment staff. For future efforts to have a public health impact, wider accessibility will be needed.
Vlahov
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D
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health Baltimore, Md.
Ryan
C
C
Solomon
L
L
Cohn
S
S
Holt
M R
MR
Akhter
M N
MN
D000328:Adult; D004219:District of Columbia; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013594:Syringes