HIV-1 prevention: interdisciplinary studies on the efficacy of bleach and development of prevention protocols.
In the United States, a major federally-funded approach to HIV-1 prevention for injecting drug users (IDUs) includes teaching them to always rinse their needles/syringes with household bleach and water before use. This report describes interdisciplinary studies of the extent to which HIV-1 can be found in injection equipment and the efficacy of bleach as a disinfectant, under simulated field conditions. Bloody needle/syringe units collected from Miami, Florida, shooting galleries or from community outreach prevention participants were selected for these studies. Groups of needle/syringe units were cleansed with bleach using a standard technique taught to IDUs in community outreach programs. Cleansed and uncleansed groups of needles/syringe units were then tested for the presence of HIV-1. The data demonstrate the efficacy of bleach rinses in reducing the risks of HIV-1 infection from needle/syringe units and indicate that the teaching of a bleach cleansing method to IDUs should be part of a total AIDS prevention protocol.
McCoy
C B
CB
Comprehensive Drug Research Center, University of Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Shapshak
P
P
Metsch
L R
LR
Rivers
J E
JE
McCoy
H V
HV
Weatherby
N L
NL
Shah
S M
SM
Chitwood
D D
DD
D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D009339:Needles; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D013594:Syringes
D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite