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Injection drug use is responsible for 10 percent of new HIV infections globally. Transmission occurs not only from sharing contaminated injection equipment but also through sexual transmission and perinatally from mother to child.1 While abstaining from drug use is the best way to eliminate drug-related HIV risk, harm reduction programs help those who are unable or unwilling to abstain to make positive changes to protect their health and the health of others.2 The term “harm reduction” has various meanings, but it generally refers to methods of reducing health risks when eliminating them may not be possible. In the context of HIV prevention, harm reduction includes syringe or needle exchange programs (SEPs or NEPs), but it also includes drug addiction treatment.3, 4

Fact Sheet: The Effectiveness of Harm Reduction in Preventing the Transmission of HIV/AIDS (pages: 4)

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