See also: Persons Who Inject Drugs (PWID), HIV, and Hepatitis C
Background Information
Fact Sheets and Overview Materials:
- Drug Use and HIV (AIDS InfoNet) and Spanish version
- Harm Reduction and HIV (AIDS InfoNet) and Spanish version
- Injecting Drug Use (AIDSmap) – overview with information about transmission, risk behaviors, and safer drug use
- Recreational Drugs and HIV Antiretrovirals: A Guide to Interactions for Clinicians (Project Inform)
- Needles and Other Sharps (Safe Disposal Outside of Health Care Settings) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
- Harm Reduction Coalition: Our Resources (Harm Reduction Coalition) – web page with links to reports, other publications, and multimedia resources about harm reduction
Recreational Drug Fact Sheets from AIDSmap:
Fact Sheets About HIV and Drug and Alcohol Use from TheBody:
- Overview
- Statistics
- Getting Help for Substance Use
- Personal Accounts
- Harm Reduction
- Needle Exchange
- HIV Treatment for Substance Users
- Using Safely/Dealing With Addiction
- Hepatitis and Injection Drugs
- Anabolic Steroids
- Cigarette Smoking and HIV
- Crack and Cocaine
- Crystal Methamphetamine
- Ecstasy
- Erectile Dysfunction Drugs
- Heroin
- Poppers
Selected Recent Articles
- United States: Syringe service use up, but a third of people who inject drugs still share needles. (December 2016, AIDSmap)
- Cash Incentives for Substance Users Fail to Improve HIV Health. (September 2016, Poz)
- Synthetic marijuana, K2, and spice, oh my! What are they, and why are they dangerous? (September 2016, Beta Blog)
- With fake painkillers hitting the streets, the “fentanyl crisis” is only getting worse. (September 2016, Beta Blog)
- Maine’s Heroin Crisis Leads to Major Rise in Hepatitis B. (September 2016, Hepmag)
- Methamphetamine Tightly Tied to Greater HIV Risk Behavior in MSM. (August 2016, TheBodyPro)
- What Passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Means for HIV and Hepatitis Programs. (August 2016, NASTAD Blog)
- Gay Men at AIDS 2016 Talk PrEP, Chem Sex and Drug Smuggling. (July 2016, TheBodyPro)
- Opioid substitution therapy improves many ART-related outcomes among people who inject drugs. (July 2016, AIDSmap)
- The War on Drugs Fuels the Spread of HIV, Hepatitis C and Tuberculosis. (July 2016, Poz)
- Connecticut Overdose Crisis Continues Despite Statewide Narcan Initiatives. (July 2016, Hepmag)
- HHS Announces New Plans to Combat the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. (July 2016, Poz)
- Many U.S. communities vulnerable to HIV outbreak due to unsafe injecting of prescription opioids. (June 2016, AIDSmap)
- After a Long Wait, FDA Approves First Anti-Addiction Implant. (June 2016, Poz)
- The Link Between Excessive Drinking and Having Hepatitis C. (May 2016, Hepmag)
- Would you take a drug to prevent meth relapses, or stop alcohol cravings? (May 2016, Beta Blog)
- Moderate Alcohol Tied to Lower Death Rate in Swiss HIV Cohort. (May 2016, TheBodyPro)
- Portland Nonprofit Distributes Free Meth Pipes to Combat Hepatitis C and HIV. (May 2016, Hepmag)
- Recent meth use may indicate need for PrEP, study finds. (April 2016, Beta Blog)
- Love, drugs and sex: Why teens take chances & risk trouble. (April 2016, Beta Blog)
- After Party [crystal meth and gay men]. (April 2016, Poz)
- 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)
- Obama Sets Task Force to Ensure Access to Addiction Tx. (March 2016, MedPage Today)
- Alcohol Risks Higher in HIV-Positive People and Linked to Increased Mortality. (March 2016, HIV Treatment Bulletin)
- HHS to Spend Additional $94M in 2016 to Fight Opioid Addiction. (March 2016, Poz)
- Sugar, sex & substances: Making changes. (March 2016, Beta Blog)
- Very high levels of chemsex and ‘slamsex’ seen in HIV-positive men attending English/Welsh HIV clinics. (February 2016, AIDSmap)
- Even One or Two Drinks a Day Can Be Harmful to People With HIV. (February 2016, Poz)
- Moderate alcohol consumption may be more harmful to people with HIV. (February 2016, AIDSmap)
- Gay Men Increase Sexual Risk-Taking After Starting Meth. (December 2015, Poz)
- Gay men starting to use crystal meth usually increase their sexual risk taking. (December 2015, AIDSmap)
- The New York Times Examines the U.S. Heroin Epidemic. (December 2015, Hepmag)
- Low CD4 count, smoking and unhealthy alcohol use are risk factors for acute exacerbation of COPD in people with HIV. (November 2015, AIDSmap)
- London clinic survey shows impact of chemsex on condom and PEP use. (October 2015, AIDSmap)
- Needle and syringe exchanges need to adapt to meet the needs of people who inject steroids and image-enhancing drugs. (October 2015, AIDSmap)
- 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)
- Of Meds, ‘Boosters’ Most Likely to Clash With Recreational Drugs. (September 2015, Poz)
- HIV-treatment ‘booster drugs’ are most likely to have dangerous interactions with methamphetamine, mephedrone, MDMA and ketamine. (August 2015, AIDSmap)
- Skipping HIV Meds While Abusing Drugs? Think Again. (August 2015, Poz)
- 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)
- The Trouble with Tina: A Conversation about Meth. (August 2015, Beta Blog)
- 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)
- Gay Meth Use Accounts For 1 in 6 New HIV Cases in Seattle Area. (July 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)
- Hep C Coinfection Increases Death Risk in Drug Users With HIV. (July 2015, Hepmag)
- More Evidence That Cocaine Leads to HIV Susceptibility. (June 2015, Poz)
- High Drug Use in HIV-Negative Gay Men With Acute HCV, but HCV Screening Low. (June 2015, TheBodyPro)
- Harm reduction for people who inject drugs in New York has worked, but hasn’t reduced racial inequality. (May 2015, AIDSmap)
- Treatments for Alcoholic Hepatitis Don’t Extend Life. (April 2015, Hepmag)
- Opioid Substitution Treatment Ups Adherence to HIV Meds. (April 2015, Poz)
- CDC Warns of Overlapping HIV and Hep C Outbreaks Among IDUs. (April 2015, Hepmag)
- HIV Is Linked to Getting a Buzz on Less Alcohol. (April 2015, Poz)
- Community Outbreak of HIV Infection Linked to Injection Drug Use of Oxymorphone – Indiana, 2015. (April 2015, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)
- Meth, Crack, Coke & Ecstasy: Effects on HIV Disease Progression. (April 2015, Beta Blog)
- 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)
- How Marijuana Use Affects HIV Testing and Care. (March 2015, TheBodyPro)
- WHO Calls for Universal Use of Smart Syringes by 2020. (March 2015, Poz)
- When Poppers are not Poppers. (February 2015, Beta Blog)
- 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)
- Safer injecting practices would be better promoted by focusing on pleasure and practical concerns – not the risk of infection. (December 2014, AIDSmap)
- Poppers-related maculopathy linked to permanent and serious vision loss. (November-December 2014, HIV Treatment Bulletin)
- Lower Hep C Risk for Young IDUs on Opioid Maintenance Therapy. (November 2014, Hepmag)
- Young drug injectors on opioid maintenance therapy have lower risk of hepatitis C infection. (November 2014, AIDSmap)
- ACR Health Launches Syringe Exchange in Utica, N.Y. (October 2014, Hepmag)
- HIV Meds Can Benefit Positive Gay Meth and Cocaine Users. (October 2014, Poz)
- Injection Drug Use Disproportionately Drives HIV in Puerto Ricans. (September 2014, Poz)
- Drug use strongly associated with sex, condomless sex and STIs in gay men living with HIV in England. (September 2014, AIDSmap)
- Youth at Risk: Heroin, Hep C and the Prescription Painkiller Epidemics. (September 2014, Hepmag)
- Safer Crack Cocaine Smoking Equipment Distribution: Comprehensive Best Practice Guidelines. (Fall 2014, CATIE)
- Scottish Harm Reduction Program Scale-up Lowers Hep C Cases. (September 2014, Hepmag)
- Program for Drug-Using Couples Lowers Hep C and Risky Sex Rates. (August 2014, Hepmag)
- The More the Party Drugs, the Fewer the Condoms Among Gay Men. (August 2014, Poz)
- 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)
- High prevalence of risk behaviour means there’s potential for worsening of HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs in Europe. (June 2014, AIDSmap)
- Voucher Incentives Draw Injection Drug Users Into HIV Care. (May 2014, Poz)
- Alcohol Is Very Risky for Those Coinfected With HIV and Hep C. (May 2014, Poz)
- Even moderate drinking increases risk of advanced liver fibrosis for people with HIVand HCV co-infection. (May 2014, AIDSmap)
- Opioid Substitution Therapy Is Linked to Lowered HIV Risk. (May 2014, Poz)
- Booze and Many Sex Partners Don’t Click With HIV Prevention. (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)
- ‘Chem sex’ commonly reported by UK gay men diagnosed with shigella. (April 2014, AIDSmap)
- HIV and Opioid Epidemics Chart Similar Paths. (April 2014, Poz)
- No simple relationship between drug use and risky sex in London gay men. (April 2014, AIDSmap)
- Crystal Meth May Fuel HIV Disease Progression and Transmission. (March 2014, Poz)
- Targeting HIV in Drug Injectors Can Lower AIDS in Heterosexuals. (March 2014, Poz)
- Heavy Popper Use in Gay MACS Cohort Linked to New Heart Disease, Cancer. (March 2014, NATAP)
- Addicts in Treatment Have Less Access to HIV and STI Testing. (January 2014, Poz)
- NJ Hospital To Launch Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment Trial. (December 2013, Poz)
- Recreational Drug Use Associated With Increased High-Risk Sexual Behaviors Among Young Gay Men Living With HIV. (December 2013, TheBodyPro)
- Excessive Drinking May Be a Problem Among Young, White People With HIV. (November 2013, TheBodyPro)
- Harm reduction works: extremely low HIV incidence over almost 20 years among people who inject drugs in Australia. (November 2013, AIDSmap)
- Social problems and drug and alcohol problems common among people who develop AIDS despite long-term HIV care. (October 2013, AIDSmap)
- Tel Aviv and Bucharest signal warnings of new HIV epidemics among people who inject drugs. (October 2013, AIDSmap)
- Cocaine May Fuel HIV Acquisition and Its Spread Between Cells. (October 2013, Poz)
- 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)
- Mental Health and Addiction: The National Overdose Epidemic. (September 2013, Poz)
- HIV May Super Charge Cocaine’s Effects and Promote Relapse. (August 2013, Poz)
- Heart Rhythm Risks Among Methadone Users With HIV. (August 2013, Poz)
- High prevalence of heart rhythm disturbance among HIV-positive people on methadone maintenance therapy. (August 2013, AIDSmap)
- Booze Doesn’t Affect Treatment Failure or CD4 Count. (August 2013, Poz)
- Drinking alcohol doesn’t increase the risk of HIV treatment failure. (July 2013, AIDSmap)
- Malaysia’s harm reduction programmes are preventing infections and saving money, but reaching far too few people who inject drugs. (July 2013, AIDSmap)
- Experts discuss role of drug policy in HIV, hepatitis and TB epidemics. (July 2013, AIDSmap)