Why is funding syringe access programs important?
• Injection drug use accounts for about one-third of all AIDS cases in the United States. HIV is transmitted through sharing contaminated needles and through high-risk sexual behavior with infected injection drug users. • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded that reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS among injection drug users requires a comprehensive approach that includes access to substance abuse treatment, community outreach, support services, as well as access to sterile syringes.
