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Needle syringe programme essay
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The needle and syringe programme (NSP) is the programme that supplies needle and syringe and also other equipment used to prepare and illegal drug. This programme is run by pharmacies and drug services. World Health Organization (2007) stated that the purpose of this programme is to reduce the transmission of blood- borne viruses and other infections that caused by sharing injecting equipment. The work of NSPs has focused on HIV prevention and also rising HIV-prevalence among clients in many locations. This has resulted in producing HIV care and support programmes and antiretroviral treatment programmes which these programmes are critically important. The care and support programmes can be included as medical and nursing care which are the treating and preventing opportunistic infections that including tuberculosis, managing HIV-related illnesses, antiretroviral therapy and psychological support and community involvement (Ball & Crofts, 2003; Lamptey & Gayle, 2003).
For HIV-positive injecting drug users, a wide range of services may be needed. These include access to drug treatment, education and advice about interactions between injected drugs, antiretroviral medicines and treatments for opportunistic infection (Burrows, 2000; HIV/AIDS treatment and care for injecting drug users, 2006). This tough requirement has caused some to reason, incorrectly, that injecting drug users are poor candidates for antiretroviral therapy (ART). Harm reduction approaches are highly effective for injecting drug users in supporting prevention, treatment and care. Appropriate support, provided by broadminded health-care workers and delivered through community-based programmes and outreach strategies, has proven effective. Comprehensive harm reduction...
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...arded needles, so it can generate a great deal of goodwill and local support.
Works Cited
Ball, A., & Crofts, N. (2003). HIV risk reduction in injecting drug users. Arlington: Family Health International.
Burrow, D. (2000). Starting and managing needle and syringe programe. Sydney, Australia: International Harm Reduction Development.
D. Burrows. (2000). Treatment, care and support of injecting drug users living with HIV/AIDS. Sans Frontieres: Kiev.
HIV/AIDS treatment and care for injecting drug users. (2006). Retrieved from WHO European: http://www.euro.who.int/document/SHA/WHO_Chapter_5_web.pdf
Lamptey, P. R., & Gayle, H. (Eds). (2003). HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care in Resource- Constrained Settings. Arlington: Family Health International.
World Health Organization. (2007). Guide to starting and managing needle and syringe programme. Switzerland: WHO Press.
By providing clean needles to drug addicts, are we causing another issue such as increased drug
Two main arguments for needle exchange programs include that the needle exchange would help prevent the spread of disease and that they are key to fighting HIV and in turn saving lives. Since, the needle exchange programs don’t really force people to get off the substance they are abusing, a lot of users will actually choose to do the treatment programs on their own because they don’t feel pressured into doing so. Not only do the needle exchange programs supply sterile needles they also supply counseling and therapy for those that not only want some help in the guidance of getting off their substance, but mental and life assistance to help them to reestablish their lives. By doing so the previously addicted can reestablish relat...
One of the major problems of our society nowadays is the rapid growth of drug addicts. This is because people misused and abused drugs, which can lead to addiction and dependent on drugs. In addition, the most abused drugs are psychotropic drugs such as cocaine and heroin, which can change the way people thinks, acts and feels. Today, there are many programs that are established to help drug users and prevent the spread of diseases. Needle exchange program (NEPs) is one of the programs, which has goal to reduce harm to drug users and innocent people. Moreover, implementing of needle exchange programs has become an argument because it cannot help drug users but instead it encourages them to use more drugs. In fact, needle exchange programs are ineffective at reducing the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other infectious diseases; therefore, needle exchange programs should be abolished.
...as an HIV Prevention... : JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. [online] Available at: http://journals.lww.com/jaids/Abstract/2001/11010/Cost_Effectiveness_of_Syringe_Exchange_as_an_HIV.12.aspx [Accessed 3 Apr. 2014].
Although needle exchange programs have been successful, they have had some criticism. One of the main goals in the needle exchange program is to prevent or to reduce the rate of transmission of any infectious diseases, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis C by distributing sterile syringes. The intended group that this program is trying to focus on is injecting drug users, since they have a high rate of either repeatedly using a contaminated syringe or sharing the same syringe with others. These programs do not only focus on distributing syringes to those who choose to accept them, some of the programs provide different services such as, counseling groups, education classes about the risk of using contaminated syringes, free medical visits, and HIV testing. On the other hand, some people may be against these types of programs because they are allowing injection drug users to continue to use drugs. Another reason why people may not be as accepting of the needle exchange programs is due to the fact that these programs are government funded.
Alexander explains that in Canada there has been three major waves of drug intervention, the ‘“harm reduction’ techniques” (225) being the most resent consisted of: clean injectable heroin, clean needles, methadone, and housing. Although, each of the methods are devoted and knowledgeable they have done little to decreased the deaths or supress the unhappiness. While clean heroin did work well few addicts quit using and many found the conditions of reserving the drugs to be repulsive. Yet another method is legalization which is nothing new and will do little to help.
improve HIV/AIDS treatment adherence and reduce HIV transmission. American Journal of Public Health, 101(3), Retrieved March 9, 2011 from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/hww/results/external_link_maincontentframe.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.44
...ick, AlexH. Kral, ElizabethA. Erringer, JamesG. Kahn, Collateral damage in the war on drugs: HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users, International Journal of Drug Policy, Volume 10, Issue 1, 1 February 1999, Pages 25-38
During the 1980s, efforts increased to alert the public to the dangers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and unintended pregnancy, yet these problems have increased. Adolescents and young adults have been especially hard hit. Pregnancy and birth rates among teenagers are at their highest levels in two decades.
Addiction has been going around for a very long time but today drug use has become more popular than ever. According to Aaron Cooper’s CNN article Study: 22 Million Americans use illegal drugs, “More than 22 million Americans age 12 and older - nearly 9% of the U.S. population - use illegal drugs, according to the government’s 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.” Once you become addicted it becomes very hard to stop, and others do not want to stop or feel they cannot. Many people believe that providing drug users with free disposable needles could help prevent the spread of AIDS and ultimately prevent countless drug related deaths. Although this is an extremely controversial idea it is still something that should be explored more in depth. In Pro & Con: Free Needles for Addicts, to Help Curb AIDS? Bruce Lambert discusses the debate on giving drug addicts free needles. Lambert goes on to say, “AIDS has spread more rapidly among intravenous drug users than any other group. Sample tests show that more than half the city's estimated 200,000 addicts are infected with the vir...
To reduce transmission, support services such as the following are needed that are covered under the PMTCT: “High-quality PMTCT counseling; Family support groups for HIV-infected pregnant and postpartum women and their families; Birth planning for HIV-infected pregnant women; HIV-exposed infant monitoring and early infant diagnosis (EID) services; Infant and young child feeding in the context of HIV counseling and support; Integration of family planning into HIV care; Active follow-up with clients who do not return for treatment; and linking HIV-infected women and infants with ART clinics for care” (USAID, 2015).
Dobler-Mikola, A. Gschwed, P. Gutzwiller, F. Steffen, T. Rehm, J. Ucthengagen, A. (2001) Fesaibility, Safely, and Efficacy of Injectable Heroin Prescription for Refractory Opioid Addicts: a follow-up study. The Lancet, volume 358, pg 1417-1420
This image was taken to show how drugs can affect the environment a person lives in by appealing to the viewer’s pathos, logos, and ethos. This photograph helps to show the environment and the conditions that IDU’s (injecting drug users) are subjecting themselves to. The needles used are shared between multiple people to inject drugs into themselves and into each other. They do not take the time to sterilize the needles. This is how bloodborne pathogens are spread along with other germs from where the needles are kept.
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.
HIV does not only affect the well-being of individuals, it has large impacts on households, communities and even nations as a whole. Peer discussions and personal research has also made me realize that some of the countries suffering from this HIV epidemic also rather unfortunately suffer from other infectious diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, relative poverty and economic stagnation. Despite these setbacks, new inte...