MetaFilter posts tagged with hiv and prevention

Needle Exchange in the USA

circle_b — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:37:16 -0800

The history of needle exchanges in the United States starts in 1986 with Jon Parker, a dyslexic Yale medical student and former IDU (intravenous drug user), who was arrested time and time again for providing sterile needles and supplies to drug users, to prevent infection and spread of disease. David Purchase started the first organized (and illegal) needle exchange in Tacoma Washington in 1988, which still exists 21 years later. Needle Exchanges fit into a harm reduction model of public health policy and drug treatment. Harm reduction approaches are being embraced by religious groups as a moral imperative, and are even recommended for jail administrators, showing that this evidence-based practice is gaining traction. Despite scientific evidence and support demonstrating utility and cost [pdf] effectiveness, there has been no federal funding for clean needle exchanges because of this text, in every House Appropriations funding act for the fiscal year, for the last 20 years: Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no funds appropriated in this Act shall be used to carry out any program of distributing sterile needles or syringes for the hypodermic injection of any illegal drug. One of President Obama's campaign promises has been to remove this text from the apropriations bill: however, the initial 2010 bill maintained the original language preventing needle exchanges from receiving federal funding. This language was then repealed, allowing federal money to go to needle exchange and disease prevention programs for the first time in 20 years. Days later, a highly restrictive amendment was added to the House Appropriations bill, which may jeopardize funding in urban areas, particularly the DC metro area. This amendment prohibits funding of needle exchanges in any area within 1,000 feet of almost any location where children gather.

HIV prevention?

taursir — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 13:53:27 -0800

New drug blocks HIV from entering cells and causes "almost" no side effects, reports Asahi Shinbun.

Circumcision

halekon — Sun, 09 Jan 2005 10:01:24 -0800

Is circumcision an AIDS weapon? To cut or not to cut? Does circumcision prevent the transmission of HIV? It was deemed "An acceptable strategy for HIV prevention" in Bostwana and a study looking at the magnitude of females who get infected with HIV/AIDS/STDs through circumcision

Educate. Prevent. Practice Safer Sex. Demand Needle Exchange Programs. End HIV/AIDS Discrimination.

fold_and_mutilate — Sun, 01 Dec 2002 08:25:12 -0800

Educate. Prevent. Practice Safer Sex. Insist On Needle Exchange Programs. End HIV/AIDS Discrimination. Demand Adequate Treatment for Low Income HIV+ Persons. (And fight like hell against those who drag their feet on public health issues for the sake of ideology.)

bragadocchio — Sat, 01 Dec 2001 20:51:25 -0800

Education and prevention are responsibilities of businesses also. The private sector can help take part in HIV/AIDS education and prevention, and should institute workplace policies. Has your workplace instituted a training program for managers and supervisors, implemented an aids policy, performed education on prevention, and reviewed the requirements that it needs to follow under disabilities acts and leave policies?

pooldemon — Sat, 01 Dec 2001 06:28:52 -0800

TheBody.Com is one of the most comprehensive sites available on AIDS and HIV. It explains everything you'd want to know including demographics, vaccines and other treatments, testing, and exactly what HIV and AIDS are for those of us without PhDs. Most importantly, it talks about prevention.

CrayDrygu — Fri, 09 Jun 2000 17:02:21 -0800

Circumcision as a way to slow the spread of HIV. I'm posting this here mostly 'cause I want to see some people's opinions on it. I'm against the operation for any reason other than religious, myself. I think a far better way to slow HIV would be to get people to stop sleeping around, but like that's gonna happen, eh?