Is the evidence conclusive that syringe exchange programs prevent HIV?
Since 1991, there have been at least 17 major reviews and assessments of syringe exchange programs by experts including the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, Institute of Medicine, and the World Health Organization. They all find that syringe exchange programs help reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS without increasing drug use. • In 2008, CDC concluded that the incidence of HIV among IDUs had decreased by 80% in the US in part due to needle exchange programs. • A 2005 study found a 75% reduction in HIV transmission rates among IDUs in New York City after implementation of a syringe exchange program. • A 1997 global study compared HIV infection rates among IDUs in cities that had SEPs with cities that did not. In the 52 cities without SEPs, HIV infection rates increased by 5.9% per year on average. In the 29 cities with SEPs, HIV infection rates decreased by 5.8% per year.
