Pubdate: Thu, 14 Jul 2005
Source: Reuters (Wire)
Copyright: 2005 Reuters Limited
Contact: London, UK
Website: http://www.reuters.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/364
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?143 (Hepatitis)

US NEEDLE-EXCHANGE PROGRAMS DECLINING

A recently released report showed a decline in needle-exchange 
programs in the United States and a diminution of public funding for 
such programs. In 2003, Dr. C.A. McKnight of New York's Beth Israel 
Medical Center and colleagues conducted surveys of 148 
needle-exchange programs known to the North American Syringe Exchange Network.

"In 2002, for the first time in 8 years, the number of exchange 
programs, the number of localities with exchange programs, and the 
amount of public funding for exchange programs in the United States 
decreased," the authors noted in the July 15 issue of CDC's Morbidity 
and Mortality Weekly Report.

The number of needle-exchange programs declined from 154 in 2000 to 
148 in 2002, the researchers found, primarily through loss of small 
programs. The number of states and territories with exchange programs 
fell from 35 to 32; public funding decreased 18 percent. At the same 
time, the number of syringes exchanged increased 20.2 percent and 
total budgets grew 7.4 percent.

In addition to providing injection drug users (IDUs) with sterile 
syringes and safely disposing of used syringes, exchange programs 
offer social services such as condom provision, substance-abuse 
treatment referral, and HIV, and hepatitis testing. Such programs, 
"provide health and social services to IDUs who might not otherwise 
be reached," the authors concluded. "Continued monitoring of exchange 
programs in the United States is necessary to evaluate the long-term 
effects of this public health intervention."

The full report, "Update: Syringe Exchange Programs - United States, 
2002," was published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 
(2005;54(27):673-676).
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MAP posted-by: Beth