Community-based outreach is an effective approach for contacting drug users in their local neighborhoods to provide them with the means to change their risky drug- and sex-related behaviors. This approach relies on outreach workers who typically reside in the local community and are familiar with its drug use subculture. As a result, they are in a unique position to educate and influence their peers to stop using drugs and reduce their risks for HIV and other blood-borne infections. Outreach workers distribute HIV/AIDS educational information, bleach kits for disinfecting injection equipment when sterile equipment is not available, and condoms for safer sex. They also provide drug users with referrals for drug treatment, syringe access and exchange programs, and HIV, HBV, and HCV testing and counseling.
Drug abuse treatment is HIV prevention. Drug users who enter and continue in treatment are more likely than those who remain out of treatment to reduce risky activities, such as sharing needles and injection equipment or engaging in unprotected sex. Drug abuse treatment can be conducted in a variety of settings (e.g., inpatient, outpatient, residential) and often involves various approaches, including behavioral therapy, medications, or a combination of both. The best treatment programs offer their clients HIV testing and counseling and referral to other services.
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