Saturday, March 31, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Please sign the Syringe Exchange Program Ban Position Statement
Syringe Exchange Program Ban Position Statement
Position Statement on U.S. Congressional ban on the use of federal funds to support syringe exchange programs
We, the undersigned, condemn the December 2011 reinstatement of the U.S. Congressional ban on the use of federal funds to support syringe exchange programs (SEPs). The ban on U.S. federal funds for SEPs was enacted in 1988, but had been repealed by Congress in 2009, after 8 U.S. federally funded reports and a plethora of international research consistently showed that SEPs can reduce syringe-sharing, HIV prevalence and incidence and are cost-effective.
Furthermore, there is overwhelming consensus on a core package of comprehensive HIV prevention services for people who inject drugs, which includes SEPs in addition to drug treatment (including medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence), HIV testing and counseling, antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive people who inject drugs, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, condom programs for people who inject drugs and their sexual partners, targeted information, education, and communication for people who inject drugs and their sexual partners, vaccination, diagnosis, and treatment of viral hepatitis, and diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. Denying SEPs access to U.S. federal funds, severely limits the provision of these other critical services that usually are offered at SEPs and will prevent the US from reaching its national and international targets on HIV prevention.
After nearly three decades of extensive research, there is no convincing scientific evidence that SEPs are accompanied by serious negative consequences, including increased illicit drug use, crime, injection frequency, multi-person use of contaminated syringes, initiating of drug use, recruiting of new drug injectors, or discarding of syringes in public places. Instead, there is convincing scientific evidence that SEPs have been associated with cost-effective reductions in and cessation of injection drug use and increased enrollment in drug treatment programs.
The reinstated ban on U.S. federal support for SEPs directly conflicts with current policies of the U.S government, including PEPFAR, the President’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. This policy change will undermine the recent call from the Obama Administration for an AIDS-free generation, and is a major setback for HIV prevention both domestically and globally. The ban will also prevent HIV prevention researchers from meeting their ethical obligation to provide trial participants with best standard of care. Given that people who inject drugs account for 30% of global HIV infections outside of sub-Saharan Africa, we urge the U.S Congress to immediately repeal the U.S. ban on the use of federal funds to support SEPs, which we consider a deadly public policy.
sign here
AFTER you sign,
Please remind yourself that it is time to stop focusing on HIV prevention as the primary purpose of syringe access. HIV prevention is one of numerous, critical reasons to support syringe access. Even an HIV cure would not reduce the need for or importance of syringe access.
(See 11-15-2011, for one example)
Position Statement on U.S. Congressional ban on the use of federal funds to support syringe exchange programs
We, the undersigned, condemn the December 2011 reinstatement of the U.S. Congressional ban on the use of federal funds to support syringe exchange programs (SEPs). The ban on U.S. federal funds for SEPs was enacted in 1988, but had been repealed by Congress in 2009, after 8 U.S. federally funded reports and a plethora of international research consistently showed that SEPs can reduce syringe-sharing, HIV prevalence and incidence and are cost-effective.
Furthermore, there is overwhelming consensus on a core package of comprehensive HIV prevention services for people who inject drugs, which includes SEPs in addition to drug treatment (including medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence), HIV testing and counseling, antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive people who inject drugs, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, condom programs for people who inject drugs and their sexual partners, targeted information, education, and communication for people who inject drugs and their sexual partners, vaccination, diagnosis, and treatment of viral hepatitis, and diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. Denying SEPs access to U.S. federal funds, severely limits the provision of these other critical services that usually are offered at SEPs and will prevent the US from reaching its national and international targets on HIV prevention.
After nearly three decades of extensive research, there is no convincing scientific evidence that SEPs are accompanied by serious negative consequences, including increased illicit drug use, crime, injection frequency, multi-person use of contaminated syringes, initiating of drug use, recruiting of new drug injectors, or discarding of syringes in public places. Instead, there is convincing scientific evidence that SEPs have been associated with cost-effective reductions in and cessation of injection drug use and increased enrollment in drug treatment programs.
The reinstated ban on U.S. federal support for SEPs directly conflicts with current policies of the U.S government, including PEPFAR, the President’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. This policy change will undermine the recent call from the Obama Administration for an AIDS-free generation, and is a major setback for HIV prevention both domestically and globally. The ban will also prevent HIV prevention researchers from meeting their ethical obligation to provide trial participants with best standard of care. Given that people who inject drugs account for 30% of global HIV infections outside of sub-Saharan Africa, we urge the U.S Congress to immediately repeal the U.S. ban on the use of federal funds to support SEPs, which we consider a deadly public policy.
sign here
AFTER you sign,
Please remind yourself that it is time to stop focusing on HIV prevention as the primary purpose of syringe access. HIV prevention is one of numerous, critical reasons to support syringe access. Even an HIV cure would not reduce the need for or importance of syringe access.
(See 11-15-2011, for one example)
Friday, February 3, 2012
question...
Why are gay men who have no anal sex
a massively higher funding priority than
women who have unprotected anal sex with strangers?
I am genuinely curious.
If there is a practical explanation, I want to know what it is.
If there is not, go ahead and add this to my list.
a massively higher funding priority than
women who have unprotected anal sex with strangers?
I am genuinely curious.
If there is a practical explanation, I want to know what it is.
If there is not, go ahead and add this to my list.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
money might not buy love...
... but it puts a hell of a ding in mortality.
Hepatitis C Surpasses HIV as Cause of Death in U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Multiple Cause of Death File. CDC WONDER Online Database: http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html
check out some of the spending disparities here
The Growing Burden of Mortality from Viral Hepatitis in the United States, 1999-2007
Abstract:
Background: The increasing US health burden and mortality from hepatitis B and C are insufficiently appreciated.
Methods: National multiple-cause-of-death data for 1999-2007, about 22 million records, were analyzed for any mention of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and, for comparison, HIV infection. We assessed age- adjusted mortality rates, socio-demographic characteristics, and potentially preventable co-morbidities in HBV- and HCV-infected decedents in 2007.
Results: From 1999-2007, the HBV-related death rate was nearly constant while deaths with hepatitis C increased significantly (annual mortality rate change, +0.18 deaths/100,000 per year) to 15,106 deaths in 2007; by comparison, HIV deaths declined to 12,734 deaths in 2007. Of HCV-related deaths, 73.4% occurred among persons aged 45-64 years. Co-morbidities associated with increased odds of HCV-related mortality included: chronic liver disease (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj,], 32.1); HBV co-infection , alcohol-related conditions; HIV co-infection; and being a member of a minority group . Like HCV, most deaths in HBV-infected persons occurred in those aged 45- 64 years (59.4%). Factors increasing odds of HBV-related death included: Asian/Pacific Islander identity (various models, ORadj, 13.1 – 17.2); chronic liver disease); HCV co-infection ; HIV co-infection (ORadj, 4.0); and alcohol-related conditions.
Conclusions: Our analysis indicates that by 2007 HCV had overtaken HIV as a cause of mortality and that deaths in HCV-infected persons were isproportionately among middle-aged persons and minorities. To achieve declines in mortality similar to those seen with HIV will require new policy directions and commitment to detect and link chronic hepatitis patients to care and treatment.
Hepatitis C Surpasses HIV as Cause of Death in U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Multiple Cause of Death File. CDC WONDER Online Database: http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html
check out some of the spending disparities here
The Growing Burden of Mortality from Viral Hepatitis in the United States, 1999-2007
Abstract:
Background: The increasing US health burden and mortality from hepatitis B and C are insufficiently appreciated.
Methods: National multiple-cause-of-death data for 1999-2007, about 22 million records, were analyzed for any mention of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and, for comparison, HIV infection. We assessed age- adjusted mortality rates, socio-demographic characteristics, and potentially preventable co-morbidities in HBV- and HCV-infected decedents in 2007.
Results: From 1999-2007, the HBV-related death rate was nearly constant while deaths with hepatitis C increased significantly (annual mortality rate change, +0.18 deaths/100,000 per year) to 15,106 deaths in 2007; by comparison, HIV deaths declined to 12,734 deaths in 2007. Of HCV-related deaths, 73.4% occurred among persons aged 45-64 years. Co-morbidities associated with increased odds of HCV-related mortality included: chronic liver disease (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj,], 32.1); HBV co-infection , alcohol-related conditions; HIV co-infection; and being a member of a minority group . Like HCV, most deaths in HBV-infected persons occurred in those aged 45- 64 years (59.4%). Factors increasing odds of HBV-related death included: Asian/Pacific Islander identity (various models, ORadj, 13.1 – 17.2); chronic liver disease); HCV co-infection ; HIV co-infection (ORadj, 4.0); and alcohol-related conditions.
Conclusions: Our analysis indicates that by 2007 HCV had overtaken HIV as a cause of mortality and that deaths in HCV-infected persons were isproportionately among middle-aged persons and minorities. To achieve declines in mortality similar to those seen with HIV will require new policy directions and commitment to detect and link chronic hepatitis patients to care and treatment.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Harder Hating Jerry
On October 9, Jerry Brown signed SB 41 & AB 604 into law.
Victories for common sense, human rights, and evidence-based policy,
these laws:
•protect needle exchange staff and volunteers from criminal prosecution
•eliminate the requirement for local authorization of syringe exchanges and pharmacy sales of syringes without a prescription
•increases the number of syringes that may be legally purchased, sold or possessed from 10 to 30
These laws are especially important in places such as Fresno and Modesto, where, despite massive need, local officials had refused to authorize syringe exchange or pharmacy sales.
Victories for common sense, human rights, and evidence-based policy,
these laws:
•protect needle exchange staff and volunteers from criminal prosecution
•eliminate the requirement for local authorization of syringe exchanges and pharmacy sales of syringes without a prescription
•increases the number of syringes that may be legally purchased, sold or possessed from 10 to 30
These laws are especially important in places such as Fresno and Modesto, where, despite massive need, local officials had refused to authorize syringe exchange or pharmacy sales.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
hint*
On Idyllic Cape Cod, Growing Drug Problem Fuels a Rise in Property Crimes
•...Thieves have smashed the windows of dozens of cars parked at the beach, grabbing GPS devices and iPods. Flat-screen televisions have been taken from isolated summer homes. Purses snatched out of the sand have been found in the woods, missing only cash. And while not all of the thefts can be linked to drug abuse, the police say many of those arrested for the crimes admit they wanted money for pills.
“They just tell you straight up front, ‘I’m an addict, I have a really bad Percocet problem,’ ” said Sgt. Cleve Daniels of the Dennis police. Mug shots lining a bulletin board at the Police Department are mostly “people active in the local drug trade,” he added. ...•
*there is one methadone clinic in Barnstable County
•...Thieves have smashed the windows of dozens of cars parked at the beach, grabbing GPS devices and iPods. Flat-screen televisions have been taken from isolated summer homes. Purses snatched out of the sand have been found in the woods, missing only cash. And while not all of the thefts can be linked to drug abuse, the police say many of those arrested for the crimes admit they wanted money for pills.
“They just tell you straight up front, ‘I’m an addict, I have a really bad Percocet problem,’ ” said Sgt. Cleve Daniels of the Dennis police. Mug shots lining a bulletin board at the Police Department are mostly “people active in the local drug trade,” he added. ...•
*there is one methadone clinic in Barnstable County
Monday, August 8, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
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