Injection Drug Use

IDU Outreach | Syringe Access | Syringe Access Locations Map | Substance Abuse & HIV

What is Syringe Access?

Since the beginning, injection drug use (IDU) has accounted for a significant number of HIV infections. In Minnesota, injection drug use is an associated risk factor for 19 percent of all people known to be living with HIV. This figure includes people who inject drugs and people who were sexually active with someone who injects drugs. Sharing of syringes and drug injection equipment (cookers, cottons, tourniquets, etc) makes it easy for HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) to be passed from one person to another.

In 1997, MAP successfully lobbied the Minnesota legislature to allow pharmacies to sell up to ten clean syringes to customers without a prescription. The pharmacy access initiative works to educate and support pharmacists on the importance of clean syringe availability and with injection drug users to use pharmacy sales as a source for clean syringes.

Pharmacies participating in the initiative receive Fitpack personal disposal kits that hold ten used syringes to give to syringe purchasers who buy without a prescription, HIV and HCV education materials and staff support and training including a training manual.

Contact Info

For more information about Syringe Access,
please contact the MAP AIDSLine.

612-373-AIDS (metro)
800-248-AIDS (statewide)
612-373-2465 (metro TTY)
888-820-2437 (statewide TTY)
mapaidsline@mnaidsproject.org

Syringe Access Resources & Publications

Pharmacy Access to Clean Syringes, Fall 2001 Positive Link
Minnesota's law allowing pharmacies to sell clean syringes intended to expand access to clean syringes. While MAP's outreach efforts have promoted the law, it is clear that a more concerted effort focusing on both injecting drug users and pharmacists is needed to increase awareness and utilization of the law.

September 2000 AIDSLine Brief: Substance Abuse and HIV Edition
The entire issue of this AIDSLine Brief is devoted to the issue of substance abuse and HIV.

Linking HIV and Substance Abuse - Prevention Works For Women, April 2000
Injection drug use directly and indirectly has played a significant role in the transmission of HIV in women. The articles discusses substance abuse and women and features an interview with Sue Purchase, one of the founders of Women with A Point, now known as AccessWorks!.

Substance Use Raises Risk in African-American Communities, March 2000
For the African-American community in Minnesota, the connection between injection drug use, crack-cocaine use and HIV transmission is significant. This article discusses substance use in the African-American community and features Don Anderson, founder of WU-WA (Wake Up-We're Affected).

INTERNET RESOURCES:

Centers for Disease Control:
Injection Drug Use Resources
HIV Prevention Resources

Temple University - Project on Harm Reduction in the Health Care System

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Minnesota Department of Health

The Body - An AIDS and HIV Information Resource

Harm Reduction Coalition

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Last Updated: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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