Needle Exchange ProgramsNeedle Exchange Programs

Jessica SullivanJessica Sullivan

Health Education & BehaviorHealth Education & Behavior

We Will Cover…We Will Cover…

What the program is and how it got startedWhat the program is and how it got started How they workHow they work Cost effectivenessCost effectiveness

Sources include studies by:Sources include studies by:National Institute of HealthNational Institute of Health

National Institute of MedicineNational Institute of MedicineSurgeon GeneralSurgeon General

GroundworkGroundwork

HIV is directly caused HIV is directly caused by intravenous drug by intravenous drug use over use over 50%50% of the of the time and is indirectly time and is indirectly related related 75%75% of the of the time.time.

Where They StartedWhere They Started

Needle Exchange Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs) Programs (NEPs) began in 1983began in 1983

Reduce the spread of Reduce the spread of HIVHIV

What They DoWhat They Do

They They exchangeexchange needles- not distribute needles- not distribute themthem

Over 80 cities in 38 Over 80 cities in 38 states in the U.S. states in the U.S. currently have these currently have these programsprograms

NEPs Reduce HIVNEPs Reduce HIV

Surgeon General’s Surgeon General’s StudyStudy

Nat’l Institute of Nat’l Institute of Health’s StudyHealth’s Study

Nat’l Institute of Nat’l Institute of Medicine’s StudyMedicine’s Study

7 Independent U.S. 7 Independent U.S. Government Government Sponsored StudiesSponsored Studies

Do Do NOTNOT Increase Drug Use Increase Drug Use

Surgeon General’s Surgeon General’s StudyStudy

ALL 7 of the ALL 7 of the individual U.S. individual U.S. Government StudiesGovernment Studies

Significant increase in Significant increase in patient admittance into patient admittance into drug rehab centersdrug rehab centers

Where They Have WorkedWhere They Have Worked

Southern Australia:Southern Australia:

No new HIV cases for No new HIV cases for

3 years3 years

Hawaii:Hawaii:

Rates if infection have Rates if infection have decreased from 5% to decreased from 5% to 1% over 7 years1% over 7 years

Cost EffectiveCost Effective

Costs $169,000 per Costs $169,000 per year to run an NEPyear to run an NEP

Syringe = $1.35Syringe = $1.35 Saving 2 people a year Saving 2 people a year

from HIV would pay from HIV would pay for the centerfor the center

ConclusionConclusion

We talked about:We talked about:– What NEPs areWhat NEPs are

– How they workHow they work

– Cost effectivenessCost effectiveness

NEPs are effective and NEPs are effective and inexpensive and could inexpensive and could save the lives of tens save the lives of tens of thousandsof thousands