BACKGROUND Injection drug users continue to be at high risk of HIV and HCV. Research has shown that needle exchange programs (NEP) decrease injection frequency, reduce syringe reuse, and reduce needle sharing, though some results have been mixed. METHODS This evaluation of a small, peri-urban, legal NEP near Ypsilanti, Michigan describes the operation of the NEP and its clients. It uses inter...

The reuse of injecting equipment in clinical settings is well documented in Africa and appears to play a substantial role in generalized HIV epidemics. The U.S. and the WHO have begun to support large scale injection safety interventions, increased professional education and training programs, and the development and wider dissemination of infection control guidelines. Several African governmen...

BACKGROUND A paucity of data exists to examine nurses' satisfaction with the use of insulin pens with safety needles in hospitalized patients with diabetes. We investigated major determinants of nurses' preference of the method of insulin administration in the context of a General Hospital in Northern Italy. METHODS Consecutive patients admitted to three hospital units of different care inten...

OBJECTIVES The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) tracks the distribution of all harm reduction products subsidized by the BC government, including needles and syringes, sterile water vials, alcohol swabs, condoms, and lubricant. This study measures the distribution of harm reduction products in BC, identifies regional variation in distribution, and estimates the supply/demand ...

objectives: hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection is a major public health problem worldwide with serious complications. according to the importance of intravenous drug use (idu) as the main risk factor for hcv infection and transmission and prison as the main source of risky behaviors, this study conducted to define hcv infection and related risk factors in prison inmates with history of idu in is...