Indiana has seen a significant outbreak of HIV infection among needle-sharing IV drug users.

One primary concern among IV drug users is that declaring their needle use will attract police attention thus driving their habits still further underground. But State officials say more than two dozen people are now taking part in a needle-exchange program aimed at stemming an HIV outbreak in a rural southern Indiana county.

Indiana’s Joint Information Center said that 29 people had participated in Scott County’s needle-exchange program by Thursday. Those participants have received 1,151 clean syringes and returned 437 used ones.

Gov. Mike Pence temporarily waived Indiana’s ban on needle-exchange programs in a March 26 order authorizing one solely for Scott County. The program began there April 4.

Needle-sharing among intravenous drug users has spurred the outbreak, and 106 people had tested positive for HIV by Thursday.

Banning needle exchange schemes seems to be a ludicrous response to a problem that will never go away, but may get far worse without a complete range of public health measures that include the provisions of clean needles and ideally a clean, safe and hygienic injection facility of “shooting gallery” for their use.

http://www.hometownstations.com/story/28778734/29-now-taking-part-in-indiana-needle-exchange-to-combat-hiv

http://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/04/11/editorial-wave-heroin-abuse-pounding-indiana-swift-action-needed/25657799/