What is the relationship of drug addiction to HIV/AIDS?

  • The spread of hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS and other blood borne or sexually transmitted diseases has been worsened by drug use – either through injection practices or the risky sexual behavior enabled by the lowering of inhibitions caused by drugs.
  • The best way to prevent the transmission of hepatitis C or HIV through dirty needles is to quit using drugs intravenously.
  • Moving an intravenous drug user through recovery to abstinence is the safest, most humane and most holistic way to reduce the tragedy of disease spread by drug use.
  • Providing places to inject drugs or clean needles ignores the underlying problem of drug use itself that is propelling the AIDS and hepatitis C crisis.