See also: Recreational Drugs, Addiction, and HIV
General Information
CDC Fact Sheets:
- HIV and Substance Use in the United States
- HIV and Injection Drug Use in the United States
- Injection Drug Use Data
- Access to Sterile Syringes
Materials from Other Sources:
- Reducing the risk of getting HIV from injection drug use (San Francisco AIDS Foundation)
- HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse: Intertwined Epidemics (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
- Drug use and HIV (AIDS InfoNet) and Spanish version
- Harm reduction and HIV (AIDS InfoNet) and Spanish version
- Injection drug use & HIV/AIDS (TheBodyPro) – web page with links to fact sheets, articles, and other resources
- Needles and Other Sharps (Safe Disposal Outside of Health Care Settings) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
Selected Recent Articles
- United States: Syringe service use up, but a third of people who inject drugs still share needles. (December 2016, AIDSmap)
- Sofosbuvir-based therapy achieves excellent SVR12 rates among people who inject drugs in Ukraine. (December 2016, AIDSmap)
- Methadone Users May Need Education About Hepatitis C Treatment. (September 2016, Hepmag)
- New York City to Study Supervised Injection Sites for Heroin Users. (September 2016, Hepmag)
- Review: Opioid substitution therapy access with HIV care improves antiretroviral treatment outcomes for people who inject drugs. (September 2016, Science Speaks Blog)
- Beyond the Prevention and Treatment Binary: Leveraging Harm Reduction as a Critical Component of the Drug User Service Continuum. (September 2016, NASTAD Blog)
- HCV treatment is effective and may work as prevention for people who inject drugs. (September 2016, AIDSmap)
- INHSU 2016 opens with focus on hepatitis C prevention and treatment for people who inject drugs. (September 2016, AIDSmap)
- People Cured of Hep C Still Have Elevated Risk of Death. (September 2016, Hepmag)
- Maine’s Heroin Crisis Leads to Major Rise in Hepatitis B. (September 2016, Hepmag)
- “Overdose Outbreak” Hits West Virginia in the Midst of Opioid Crisis. (August 2016, Hepmag)
- Hepatitis C Epidemic Hits Hard in Rural Alaska. (August 2016, Hepmag)
- Overdose Prevention is a Viral Hepatitis Prevention Responsibility. (August 2016, NASTAD Blog)
- Overdose Prevention: An Infectious Disease Program Responsibility. (August 2016, NASTAD Blog)
- Food Insecurity Tied to HIV, Other STIs and Drug Use in U.S. Men. (August 2016, TheBodyPro)
- For Injection Drug Users With HIV, Higher Risk of Liver/Kidney Disease — But Not Other Non-AIDS Ills. (August 2016, TheBodyPro)
- On the Safe Side: Can supervised injection facilities help reduce U.S. HIV rates? (August 2016, Poz)
- Study Supports Removal of Drug Use as Restriction for Hepatitis C Treatment. (August 2016, Hepmag)
- What Passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Means for HIV and Hepatitis Programs. (August 2016, NASTAD Blog)
- Hepatitis C Prevention for People Who Inject Drugs. (July/August 2016, Positively Aware)
- On the safe side [supervised infection facilities]. (August 2016, Poz)
- Opioid Substitution Therapy Helps Drug Users Do Better With HIV Treatment. (August 2016, Poz)
- What Passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Means for HIV and Hepatitis Programs. (August 2016, NASTAD Blog)
- AIDS United Calls for Supervised Injection Facilities as Part of Comprehensive HIV Prevention Strategy for People Who Use Drugs. (July 2016, AIDS United)
- Alternatives to Public Injecting (2016, Harm Reduction Coalition)
- Safe Injection Facilities in the United States: The Next Step for Harm Reduction for People Who Use Drugs. (July 2016, Project Inform)
- HIV Epidemics Among Gays and Drug Users Are Less Likely to Get U.S. Aid. (July 2016, Poz)
- North Carolina Lawmakers Legalize Syringe Exchanges. (July 2016, Hepmag)
- Disproportionate burden of HIV, hepatitis, TB among prisoners driven by IDUs, insufficient care. (July 2016, Healio)
- Focusing on the Legal, Social and Policy Barriers to HIV Services for Key Populations. (July 2016, Global Forum on MSM and HIV)
- Opioid substitution therapy improves many ART-related outcomes among people who inject drugs. (July 2016, AIDSmap)
- Viral suppression not improved by interventions among patients with HIV, substance use. (July 2016, Healio)
- HHS Announces New Plans to Combat the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. (July 2016, Poz)
- Vaccination could have important role in control of UK HCV epidemic among people who inject drugs. (June 2016, AIDSmap)
- Many U.S. communities vulnerable to HIV outbreak due to unsafe injecting of prescription opioids. (June 2016, AIDSmap)
- Hepatitis C on the Rise in Northern Ohio. (June 2016, Hepmag)
- HLM 2016 AIDS: PEPFAR directs $100 million to reach gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, people who inject drugs, and prisoners. (June 2016, Science Speaks Blog)
- People who inject drugs have other priorities ahead of PrEP. (June 2016, AIDSmap); related coverage from Poz
- PrEP not cost-effective for people who inject drugs. (June 2016, Healio)
- After a Long Wait, FDA Approves First Anti-Addiction Implant. (June 2016, Poz)
- Treating Hepatitis C Ups Quality of Life of Injection Drug Users, Who Are at Risk for Reinfection. (May 2016, Hepmag)
- Safe Injection Facilities in the United States: A Project Inform Think Tank. (May 2016, Project Inform)
- Targeting Injection Drug Users with PrEP Is Not the Best Use of Funds. (April 2016, Poz)
- Syringes and Needles on the Street in San Francisco: What’s Being Done? (April 2016, Beta Blog)
- Syringe access programs and overdose prevention to be funded with federal dollars. (April 2016, Beta Blog)
- People who use drugs still adherent to PrEP. (April 2016, Beta Blog)
- D.C. Week: Obama Sets Task Force to Ensure Access to Addiction Tx. (April 2016, MedPage Today)
- Online Injectors [New York City syringe exchange program]. (April 2016, Poz)
- What’s Love Got to Do With It? Exploring How Intimate Relationships With Men Impact Women Who Inject Drugs and Their Vulnerability for Hep C and HIV. (Spring 2016, CATIE)
- FDA announces enhanced warnings for immediate-release opioid pain medications related to risks of misuse, abuse, addiction, overdose and death. (March 2016, Food and Drug Administration)
- FDA to Place “Black Box” Warnings on All Prescription Opioids. (March 2016, Hepmag)
- Obama Sets Task Force to Ensure Access to Addiction Tx. (March 2016, MedPage Today)
- HHS to Spend Additional $94M in 2016 to Fight Opioid Addiction. (March 2016, Poz)
- U.S. Senate passes comprehensive bill to fight drug addiction. (March 2016, Poz)
- A Massive Scale-Up of Hep C Treatment Among Injection Drug Users is Needed to Reap a Prevention Benefit. (March 2016, Hepmag)
- Frequent Cocaine Injection Among people with HIV and Hepatitis C Raises the Risk of Chronic Kidney Impairment. (March 2016, Poz)
- Urban Injection Drug Users Succeed on Hep C Treatment With Hands-On Care Protocol. (March 2016, Poz)
- Networks of HCV transmissions among persons who inject drugs: Indiana, 2015. (February 2016, Retrovirus Conference); related coverage from MedPage Today.
- The evolving epidemiology of HIV infection in persons who inject drugs: Indiana 2015 (February 2016, Retrovirus Conference); related coverage from AIDSmap, Healio, and MedPage Today.
- Very high levels of chemsex and ‘slamsex’ seen in HIV-positive men attending English/Welsh HIV clinics. (February 2016, AIDSmap)
- Half of Black gay men and a quarter of Latino gay men projected to be diagnosed within their lifetime. (February 2016, CDC); related coverage from AIDSmap, Beta Blog, Healio, MedPage Today, Poz, TheBody article 1 and article 2. Abstract from 2016 Retrovirus Conference.
- Life expectancy increases in HIV patients; significant gap remains. (February 2016, Healio); related coverage from AIDSmap, MedPage Today, and Poz; abstract from 2016 Retrovirus Conference.
- Congress Ease Restrictions on Funding for Syringe Exchange. (January 2016, amfAR); related coverage from Hepmag and Healio.
- Expanding rural, suburban syringe programs could greatly reduce HIV, HCV. (January 2016, Infectious Disease News)
- Prevention strategy focuses on HIV epidemic in Indiana. (January 2016, Healio)
- A clean needle, an HIV test, and acknowledgment…We’re reading about simple solutions, out of reach. (January 2016, Science Speaks Blog)
- Syringe Exchanges Often Lacking Where Needed Most. (January 2016, Poz)
- Monroe County in Indiana Declares Hepatitis C Emergency. (December 2015, Hepmag)
- U.S. syringe funding ban impedes HIV and hepatitis C prevention. (December 2015, AIDSmap)
- The New York Times Examines the U.S. Heroin Epidemic. (December 2015, Hepmag)
- Elbasvir/Grazoprevir Hep C Regimen Succeeds in Opiate Addicts. (November 2015, Hepmag)
- Poor Results for New Syringe Designed to Curb Hep C Spread. (November 2015, Hepmag)
- User-Driven Syringe Exchange is Best Model to Reduce HIV and Hepatitis C. (October 2015, Beta Blog)
- Strategies for hepatitis C ‘treatment as prevention’ must address the concerns of people who inject drugs. (October 2015, AIDSmap)
- Injection Drug Users Are Likely to Develop Serious Liver Damage by Middle Age. (October 2015, Hepmag)
- London clinic survey shows impact of chemsex on condom and PEP use. (October 2015, AIDSmap)
- Harm reduction conference calls for political leadership to reform drugs policy. (October 2015, AIDSmap)
- Opioid Substitution Therapy Reduces Hepatitis C Risk. (October 2015, Hepmag)
- Needle and syringe exchanges need to adapt to meet the needs of people who inject steroids and image-enhancing drugs. (October 2015, AIDSmap)
- Risks and challenges of people who inject drugs, earn income through sex work recognized, but seldom addressed inadequate, joined responses. (October 2015, Science Speaks Blog)
- Emergency needle exchange in Indiana reduces HIV and HCV risk for people who inject drugs. (October 2015, AIDSmap)
- Retreat of international donors and neglect of national governments threatens harm reduction services. (October 2015, AIDSmap)
- Opioid substitution therapy, especially in combination with needle exchange, reduces transmission of hepatitis C. (October 2015, AIDSmap)
- Success for Needle Exchange in Indiana County With HIV Outbreak. (October 2015, Poz)
- Injection Drug Users With Hep C Should Get Treatment. (October 2015, Hepmag)
- Managing HIV in special populations. (October 2015, Healio)
- Sex workers, injection drug users and men who have sex with men continue to be most affected by HIV epidemic, panelists say. (October 2015, Science Speaks Blog)
- HCV Current Initiative: Addressing the National Epidemics of Prescription Opioid misuse and Hepatitis C through Unique Partnerships. (October 2015, Hepmag)
- Dynamics and Demographics of Opiate Addiction Are Shifting. (September 2015, Hepmag)
- HIV treatment as prevention scale-up linked to reduced mortality among people who inject drugs in Vancouver. (September 2015, AIDSmap)
- Hepatitis C Largely Explains Higher Mortality in Injection Drug Users With HIV. (August 2015, TheBodyPro)
- Low-threshold methadone maintenance reduces HIV risk for people who inject drugs. (August 2015, AIDSmap)
- Third of people with HIV who use drugs intentionally miss doses of HIV treatment when planning to use drugs. (August 2015, AIDSmap)
- Indiana HIV outbreak offers lessons about containing local outbreaks and need for harm reduction. (August 2015, AIDSmap)
- Treating HIV and Addiction Together Packs a Life-Saving Punch. (August 2015, Poz)
- Vancouver’s treatment as prevention success is also due to harm reduction and addiction treatment. (July 2015, AIDSmap)
- Opioid substitution therapy combined with HIV treatment saves the lives of more drug users than ART alone. (July 2015, AIDSmap)
- People with HIV who inject drugs benefit most from integrated treatment, study finds. (July 2015, Science Speaks Blog)
- Hep C Coinfection Increases Death Risk in Drug Users With HIV. (July 2015, Hepmag)
- NYC Almost Ends HIV in Injection Drug Users, But Only Among Whites. (June 2015, Poz)
- Harm reduction for people who inject drugs in New York has worked, but hasn’t reduced racial inequality. (May 2015, AIDSmap)
- CDC Warns of Overlapping HIV and Hep C Outbreaks Among IDUs. (April 2015, Hepmag)
- Community Outbreak of HIV Infection Linked to Injection Drug Use of Oxymorphone – Indiana, 2015. (April 2015, MMWR)
- Opioid substitution treatment increases chances that people who inject drugs will have good adherence to HIV therapy. (April 2015, AIDSmap)
- Janssen Gives 8 U.S. Groups Grants to Help Injection Drug Users. (April 2015, Hepmag)
- WHO Calls for Universal Use of Smart Syringes by 2020. (March 2015, Poz)
- Reducing the Frequency of Needle Sharing Can Help Prevent HCV. (January 2015, Hepmag)
- Substance use and social problems predict HIV infection in American gay men. (January 2015, AIDSmap)
- HCV prevention campaigns need to focus on reducing frequency of injecting drug use involving sharing of equipment. (January 2015, AIDSmap)
- HIV-Positive Heroin Users CD4s May Drop Faster With Spotty Use. (December 2014, Poz)
- Hep C Is Up in Rural Injection Drug Users. (December 2014, Hepmag)
- Europe and Central Asia Are Failing to Curb the HIV Epidemic. (December 2014, Poz)
- Safer injecting practices would be better promoted by focusing on pleasure and practical concerns – not the risk of infection. (December 2014, AIDSmap)
- Lower Hep C Risk for Young IDUs on Opioid Maintenance Therapy. (November 2014, Hepmag)
- ACR Health Launches Syringe Exchange in Utica, N.Y. (October 2014, Hepmag)
- Injection Drug Use Disproportionately Drives HIV in Puerto Ricans. (September 2014, Poz)
- Youth at Risk: Heroin, Hep C and the Prescription Painkiller Epidemics. (September 2014, Hepmag)
- Scottish Harm Reduction Program Scale-up Lowers Hep C Cases. (September 2014, Hepmag)
- Hepatitis C Cases Rising Among Young, Non-Urban Drug Users. (August 2014, TheBodyPro)
- Expanded harm reduction provision achieves impressive reductions in HCV incidence among PWID in Scotland. (August 2014, AIDSmap)
- Hep C Rising Among Young Non-Urban Injection Drug Users. (August 2014, Hepmag)
- Vancouver Injection Drug Users Moderately Interested in PrEP. (August 2014, Poz)
- Emergent HCV epidemic among young, non-urban people who inject drugs in the United States. (August 2014, AIDSmap)
- Program for Drug-Using Couples Lowers Hep C and Risky Sex Rates. (August 2014, Hepmag)
- AbbVie’s Hep C Regimen Is Safe with Opioid Replacement Therapy. (July 2014, Hepmag)
- Recession and income inequality have fuelled HIV infections in European drug users. (July 2014, AIDSmap)
- European Economic Downturn Tied to HIV Uptick in Drug Users. (July 2014, Poz)
- Harm reduction and drug policy – no one left behind. (July 2014, Science Speaks Blog)
- Harm reduction funding meeting only 7% of global need. (July 2014, AIDSmap)
- Young Drug Users at Especially High Risk of HIV and Hep C. (July 2014, Poz)
- Interferon-free hepatitis C treatment works for people on methadone or buprenorphine. (July 2014, AIDSmap)
- HIV, Hep C Advocates Urge Congress to Lift Syringe Funding Ban. (July 2014, Hepmag)
- ‘Robust’ evidence of HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs in the Middle East and North Africa. (June 2014, AIDSmap)
- High prevalence of risk behaviour means there’s potential for worsening of HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs in Europe. (June 2014, AIDSmap)
- HIV Spikes Among Drug Users in Middle East, North Africa. (June 2014, Poz)
- Voucher Incentives Draw Injection Drug Users Into HIV Care. (May 2014, Poz)
- Voucher incentives improve engagement with HIV care among people who inject drugs. (May 2014, AIDSmap)
- Harm Reduction Programs for Injection Drug Users Curb HIV. (May 2014, Poz)
- Methadone and buprenorphine-naloxone both associated with reduced HIV risk among people who inject drugs. (April 2014, AIDSmap)
- Implementation of a comprehensive harm reduction programme curtailed the HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs in Taiwan. (April 2014, AIDSmap)
- HIV and Opioid Epidemics Chart Similar Paths. (April 2014, Poz)
- Targeting HIV in Drug Injectors Can Lower AIDS in Heterosexuals. (March 2014, Poz)
- Multi-Pronged Prevention Tactics Could Slash HIV Rates in IDUs. (March 2014, Poz)
- Gay Men, IDUs and People With HIV Should Test for Hep B. (February 2014, Poz)
- Recreational Drug Use Associated With Increased High-Risk Sexual Behaviors Among Young Gay Men Living With HIV. (December 2013, TheBodyPro)
- Syringe Exchanges Prevent HIV: Just Ask Australia. (December 2013, Poz)
- Harm reduction works: extremely low HIV incidence over almost 20 years among people who inject drugs in Australia. (November 2013, AIDSmap)
- Tel Aviv and Bucharest signal warnings of new HIV epidemics among people who inject drugs. (October 2013, AIDSmap)
- Eastern Europe facing quadruple epidemic while governments do nothing, warns UN Special Envoy. (October 2013, AIDSmap)
- Men attending group sex ‘slam parties’ don’t all use or inject drugs. (October 2013, AIDSmap)
- Making treatment as prevention a reality for people who inject drugs. (September 2013, AIDSmap)
- High prevalence of heart rhythm disturbance among HIV-positive people on methadone maintenance therapy. (August 2013, AIDSmap)
- Sticking it to HIV: Funding needle exchange programs would save lives and money. (July/August 2013, Positively Aware)
- Malaysia’s harm reduction programmes are preventing infections and saving money, but reaching far too few people who inject drugs. (July 2013, AIDSmap)
- Bangkok PrEP study finds PrEP efficacy is related to drug exposure. (July 2013, AIDSmap)
- Trial of PreP in Drug Users Called Into Question. (June 2013, Poz)
- PrEP works for injecting drug users too. (June 2013, AIDSmap)
- Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Protects Drug Users Against HIV. (June 2013, Poz)
- Lack of Food Raises Risk of Death in Drug Users With HIV. (June 2013, Poz)
- ‘War on drugs’ fueling the hepatitis C epidemic among people who inject drugs. (May 2013, AIDSmap)