The ISSUE:

• One third of people with HIV in the United States were infected through injection drug use.
  
• Every year, another 8,000 people are newly infected with HIV through sharing contaminated syringes.
• Every year, another 15,000 are newly infected with hepatitis C through sharing syringes and contaminated injection equipment.
• African Americans account for over 50% of all AIDS cases attributed to injection drug use, while Latinos account for nearly 25%.
• Among women, an estimated 61 percent of AIDS cases are due to injection drug use or the result of sexual contact with someone who contracted HIV through injection drug use.
• Younger injection drug users generally become infected with hepatitis C within two years

These infections are preventable. Syringe exchange programs provide tools, resources, and education to enable people who inject drugs to protect themselves and their communities through safer injection practices and harm reduction methods. Nearly 200 syringe exchange programs currently operate in 38 states, Puerto Rico, Washington DC, and Indian Lands. Both state and local jurisdictions authorize and regulate sterile syringe access programs. There are no federal regulations governing sterile syringe access.

Syringe exchange programs are also highly cost-effective. The lifetime cost of medical care for each new HIV infection is $385,200; the equivalent amount of money spent on syringe exchange programs would prevent at least 30 new HIV infections. In addition to the reduced risks for disease, sterile syringe access programs facilitate greater access to drug treatment. These programs provide a crucial entry point into medical care, detox and rehabilitation, and mental health treatment.