A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the connection between Baltimore City's needle exchange program and drug treatment programs.
Individuals who enter treatment programs for drug addiction were more likely to be HIV-positive females who use the Baltimore City needle exchange programs.
The study highlights the need for treatment facilities to address co-occurring problems, such as HIV and mental illness. It is published in the December 2006 edition of the journal Substance Use & Misuse.
"Needle exchange programs and drug user treatment centers are two effective strategies to reduce HIV infections and drug abuse," explained Carl A. Latkin, PhD, lead author of the study and a professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health's Department of Health, Behavior and Society. "Needle exchange programs reduce the number of contaminated syringes in a community and drug treatment reduces drug use, which may indirectly reduce HIV transmission."