Page 2519 - Week 09 - Thursday, 17 September 1992

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THIS FIGURE REPRESENTS A MONTHLY AVERAGE OF 511 CONTACTS WITH INDIVIDUALS AND 8121 NEEDLES BEING DISTRIBUTED PER MONTH.

AT EACH OF THESE CONTACTS, CLIENTS ARE OFFERED INFORMATION ABOUT PREVENTING INFECTION WITH HIV AND HOW TO KEEP NEEDLES CLEAN THROUGH THE WIDELY ACCEPTED AND PROMOTED BLEACH AND WATER METHOD.

BECAUSE THE NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM OPERATES IN SUCH A WAY THAT CONFIDENTIALITY OF CLIENTS IS PRESERVED, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE EXACTLY HOW MANY USERS THERE ARE IN THE A.C.T.

ALSO, AS WITH ALL NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS IN AUSTRALIA, IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW PRECISELY HOW OFTEN USERS INJECT DRUGS AND HOW OFTEN NEEDLES ARE SHARED OR USED MORE THAN ONCE BY THE SAME INDIVIDUAL.

ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE FROM USERS SUGGEST THAT THE NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM IS PREVENTING INJECTING DRUG USERS FROM BECOMING INFECTED WITH HIV.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA ALSO SHOWS THAT THE NUMBER OF USERS WHO HAVE TESTED HIV POSITIVE REMAINS VERY LOW IN THE A.C.T. AND AUSTRALIA. EXPERTS SUCH AS DR ALEX WODAK FROM ST VINCENTS HOSPITAL IN SYDNEY ATTRIBUTE THIS TO THE INTRODUCTION OF NEEDLE AND SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS.

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