More Syringes for Injection Drug Users Mean Less Syringe Reuse and Sharing

Syringe exchange programs are widely regarded by scientists and public health officials as an effective strategy for preventing the spread of HIV among injection drug users. But programs vary widely in the number of syringes they provide. How many syringes are required to keep users from engaging in risky behaviors such as sharing syringes? For a recent DPRC study, researchers devised a new measure—syringe coverage, or the percentage of a user's injections that he or she can cover with new syringes received from a syringe exchange program, at the safe rate of one injection per syringe. Using data from 24 syringe exchange programs in California and controlling for a number of factors such as user age, homelessness, and arrest concerns, the researchers found that higher syringe coverage was associated with lower rates of syringe reuse and sharing. Higher coverage was not, however, associated with lower rates of safe syringe disposal. The implication is that, by encouraging more frequent visits, increasing hours and locations, and providing more syringes per visit, syringe exchange programs might be able to rein in behaviors associated with HIV risk without increasing unsafe syringe disposal. (Other RAND research has shown that higher coverage can be achieved through more liberal syringe dispensation policies.)

Sources:

Higher syringe coverage is associated with lower odds of HIV risk and does not increase unsafe syringe disposal among syringe exchange program clients.

Bluthenthal R, Anderson R, Flynn N, Kral A.

Full Article (Drug and Alcohol Dependence) »

Examination of the association between syringe exchange program (SEP) dispensation policy and SEP client-level syringe coverage among injection drug users

Bluthenthal R, Ridgeway G, Schell T, Anderson R, Flynn N, Kral A.

Full Article (Addiction) »

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