EXPANDED ACCESS TO SEPs AND OTHER HARM REDUCTION MEASURES IN FRANCE

Abstract

Comments on an article by Des Jarlais et al. (see record [rid]2009-11976-002[/rid]). Des Jarlais et al. describe the remarkable effort made in the United States to scale-up syringe exchange programmes (SEPs) and their contribution to decreasing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence among injecting drug users (IDUs), despite the lack of federal government support. Although the US results on the expansion of SEPs are encouraging, significant policy changes and funding are needed to increase their coverage and eliminate the detrimental impact of a repression-orientated approach on an effective public health strategy. The ongoing transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among IDUs challenges the extent to which syringe exchange and other harm reduction programmes designed for HIV prevention can reduce HCV transmission among IDUs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)