A Comprehensive Approach:
Preventing Blood-Borne Infections Among Injection Drug Users
Chapter 2: Key Ideas
The problems associated with infection
with blood-borne pathogens among IDUs require a comprehensive, multifaceted
approach.
A comprehensive approach rests on cross-cutting
principles that guide the ways that interventions are planned and
carried out.
A comprehensive approach incorporates
a range of strategies that take into account IDUs' differing life
circumstances, cultures and languages, behaviors, and readiness to
change.
Assessing current services and programs,
in light of legal, social, and political environment and available
resources, can help communities plan and carry out a comprehensive
approach.
The AIDS epidemic and the public health importance
of other blood-borne illnesses, primarily hepatitis B and hepatitis
C, have introduced a new dimension to the issue of injection drug use
and increased the urgency of finding effective and appropriate interventions
for IDUs. Numerous studies have examined issues related to the nature
of addiction, the reasons why individuals begin and continue to use
addictive drugs, and the factors that help them change their behaviors
so as to stop using drugs. Despite this growing body of scientific knowledge,
many myths, negative stereotypes, and biases persist about drug users
and their lives, the health and safety risks they take, and their ability
to overcome addiction. These stereotypes and beliefs pro foundly influence
the service, policy, and legal environment affecting IDUs and the scope
and quality of health and social services provided to them (Friedman,
1998). They also constrain efforts to reduce the spread of blood-borne
pathogens among IDUs and achieve the nation's ultimate goal, which is
to substantially reduce or even eliminate drug use. To design and deliver
effective interventions for IDUs, prevention providers, program staff,
and policy makers must better understand the lives and issues faced
by IDUs, address the biases they and society have toward this population,
and work to ameliorate the stigma caused by such biases. They must also
explore ways to surmount the profound differences in philosophy and
approach that exist among various types of providers and that all too
often hinder collaboration and limit effective solutions.
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