Prevention and Treatment of HIV Infection in Injection Drug Users in the Bronx

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 infection is prevalent among injection drug users nationwide, and is especially prevalent here in the Bronx and New York City. Injection drug users are at increased risk for acquiring and transmitting HIV infection primarily because of unsafe injection practices and high-risk sex behaviors, but several studies have tested risk reduction interventions for injection drug users and found them to decrease these risk behaviors. The most successful risk reduction interventions mobilize peers, involve community outreach, and work in conjunction with substance abuse treatment programs. Other successful interventions for reducing HIV transmission risk among injection drugs users rely on medical providers to offer individualized risk reduction along with medical treatment for HIV. In this article, we review HIV prevention and treatment programs that have helped stem the HIV epidemic among injection drug users in the Bronx.