After reading Contemporary Issue Box 4.1 “Needle Sharing and AIDS”…

Question Answered step-by-step After reading Contemporary Issue Box 4.1 “Needle Sharing and AIDS”… After reading Contemporary Issue Box 4.1 “Needle Sharing and AIDS” respond to the question “what are the pros and cons of a needle exchange program”. Provide one pro and one con as well as your thoughts on the topic. Needle Sharing and AIDSIntravenous (IV) drug use remains a risk factor for AIDS. The reason the risk for AIDS is high among IV drug users is that they often share needles while taking drugs. The risk for becoming HIV positive increases when one or more of the needle sharers are HIV positive and the needle is not sterilized before being passed from person to person.IV drug users share needles for several reasons. It may be a simple matter of syringe availability. If few needles are around, then sharing becomes more likely. In this regard, the addicts’ first priority is to get the drug into their body. However, a more entrenched and difficult-to-modify reason for needle sharing is that it may be part of local drug-taking social norms. In addition, needle sharing is often part of socialization into the drug-taking subculture and has been viewed as a way that addicts can feel a sense of group belonging and friendship.Several approaches have been taken to combat the problem of HIV risk and needle sharing. One is education. It would be difficult not to have heard or read about one or more campaigns directed at addicts, alerting them to avoid needle sharing or, if the practice is followed, to clean the needle before reusing it. A related approach has been to directly supply addicts with clean syringes. So-called needle exchange programs, in which addicts trade in their used syringes for clean ones, seem promising. Reviews of such programs in the United States, Canada, and Europe show that addicts in exchange programs do less needle sharing and more often clean their syringes with bleach. In addition, needle exchange programs have not increased IV drug use where they have been implemented (Rich et al., 2004).Despite research evidence that needle exchange programs can make inroads into the risk of HIV or IV drug use problems, such programs still are controversial in many parts of the United States and in other countries, such as Sweden (MacNeil & Pauly, 2011). The controversy is rooted in the fear that free exchange of syringes without a physician’s prescription will accelerate the spread of IV drug use. If you were a local official, what would you consider the pros and cons of needle exchange programs in your city?  Psychology Social Science Social Psychology HUMAN SERV HS111 Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)