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Needle-exchange programs save money
and lower the HIV transmission rate among IV drug users, according to studies
presented at the 19th International AIDS Conference and reported by NPR’s Shots
blog. A 10 percent expansion of NEPs in the United States would cost $64
million each year but save $193 million in averted HIV treatment costs, researchers
said at the IAC.
In Wilmington, a state-funded NEP
run by Brandywine Counseling & Community Services offers IV drug users free
HIV testing and counseling, substance abuse treatment, safe-sex kits, and
pregnancy screening in a program to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission.
“We try to find out if an individual
is actively in treatment [for substance abuse], and we encourage them to get
into treatment,” said Ralph Bradley, the NEP’s director. “The van will call and
set up the first appointment for them.”
Brandywine has a drop-in NEP in
partnership with Walgreens pharmacy locations in the city. An NEP van also
visits high-risk areas. Several clients have been referred, without
repercussions, by police, said Jim Dickinson, HIV prevention program
administrator for the state Division of Public Health.
Some 594 individual HIV tests have
been conducted from the van, and seven HIV-positive people were immediately
linked with antiretroviral treatment. Each HIV infection prevented saves more
than $600,000 in averted treatment costs, Bradley said.
“The cascade effect doesn’t just
serve the people visiting the van,” Dickinson said. “Their partners don’t
always know they are shooting up, and they could be at risk for infection.”
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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