V. Needle Exchange

Another important part of AIDS and HIV prevention is needle exchange.  These programs allow intravenous drug users to exchange dirty needles for clean ones, thereby removing the need to share needles and preventing the spread of blood-bound viruses like HIV.  Pittsburgh currently has one needle exchange program, Prevention Point Pittsburgh.  This organization started in May 1995 as an illegal operation by AIDS activists to hand out syringes, alcohol wipes, condoms, and biohazard containers in the city’s Hill District.  Not until November 2001 did the program become legal when Allegheny County declared a state of emergency for AIDS and HIV, making needle exchange allowed.  The group currently operates in the parking lot of the Allegheny County Health Department and receives no government funding (21). 

The program has recently come under scrutiny, however, by County councilor Vince Gastgeb, who represents the area of the city where I live, a more conservative suburban area.  Because state law prohibits needle possession without a prescription, Gastgeb says that this prolonged state of emergency is a problem and the Council should evaluate the program to determine if it is really helping the community.  He says that people in his district are outraged that a needle exchange program exists and want to see definitive data that the program is helpful (22).  While needle exchange programs have proven successful in many cases (23, 24, 25, 26, 27), Gastgeb wants data from Prevention Point specifically.  The problem here is that their data “has not been frequent nor [sic] comprehensive” (28).  When I personally tried to request data, none was given.  To stop Prevention Point from being shut down, the program must provide credible data.  If no such data is available, it must either be gathered, or another needle exchange program must be created, because there is obviously a need in the city for clean needles, seeing as Prevention Point has been in operation since 1995 and distributes between 5,000 and 6,000 needles per week (29).  Any outcry from the community would surely be dampened if the program proves to be successful.

Proceed to VI. Conclusion

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