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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Heather Joy Ward, RN, BSN and Debra Gay Anderson, PhD. College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, 1204 Berrywood Drive, Lexington, KY 40515, (859) 271-6745, hjward2@uky.edu
As a first year graduate student in the FNP program at the University of Kentucky, this presentation was submitted as a paper entitled "Clean Needle Exchange Programs". It is estimated that 1.1-1.5 million people in the United States use injection drugs. Injection drug use by women or their partners is now the leading cause of AIDS in women and children. Therefore, injection drug use is also a major public health problem. Needle exchange programs have emerged as an innovative approach to this problem. Although the programs have demonstrated their effectiveness at combating infectious disease through numerous studies, political controversy surrounding needle exchange programs has made it virtually impossible for health care providers to offer this service in health clinics. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the issue of clean needle exchange programs, the public health problems they address, and the controversy that surrounds these programs. The specific aims are to: (1) Identify the health risks to injection drug users as well as the risks posed to their surrounding community as a result of their drug use; (2) Describe clean needle exchange programs, their purposes, and the health issues these programs address; (3) Explain past and present legislation dealing with clean needle exchange programs; (4) Present the controversial view points (pros and cons) surrounding this issue. An overview of current literature, data, and specific studies addressing this topic will be presented. Current legislation applicable to clean needle exchange programs will be presented and made available for the participant.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Injection Drug Users, Infectious Diseases
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.