Indiana county hit by HIV outbreak could end needle exchange
RICK CALLAHAN, Associated Press
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A rural southern Indiana county that was the epicenter of the state’s worst-ever HIV outbreak driven by intravenous drug use is poised to end its needle exchange program despite warnings that doing so could lead to increased disease risk.
Health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have called Scott County’s program that started in 2015 a success in drastically reducing the spread of infectious diseases by providing IV users with clean syringes to discourage needle sharing.
But the continuation of such programs there and elsewhere have faced opponents who argue they enable drug abuse and lead to more needles being left in public places.