New Syringe Service Program Begins

On April 30, the Health Services Agency of Santa Cruz County in California began administering a new syringe exchange program that offers participants referrals to medical and mental health services and substance abuse programs, information on disease prevention, and self-service kiosks for syringe disposal outside of clinics.

Senior Health Educator Laurie Lang said the syringe exchange program practice was based on evidence from multiple studies that have shown their effectiveness in reducing HIV and hepatitis C rates among injection drug users.

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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