This session provides participants with practical HIV prevention strategies for people who use drugs. Start this session by providing an overview of the issue – if possible, find out how many people use drugs in your country and how many of these are young people. While it is true that many countries do not have disaggregated data, we believe it is worth trying to provide information on your local context. Explain to the group that they will tackle two main subjects: a) drug-related harm reduction practices and b) strategies for effective HIV prevention for people who inject drugs. Remember to allow participants to ask questions and be sure to use diagrams / illustrations when necessary.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime( UNODC) World Report 2010, there are 18 to 38 million people who are‘ problematic drug users’ between the ages of 15 and 64. Between 172 and 250 million people in this age range used drugs at least once in the last year. The report describes evidence of increased drug use in developing countries, and growing use of amphetamine-type stimulants( ATS) and prescription drugs around the world.
In certain parts of the world, such as Eastern Europe and South East Asia, the sharing of injection equipment among people who inject drugs is one of the fastest growing routes of HIV transmission. Young people who inject drugs face increased stigma and discrimination and are often denied essential life-saving HIV prevention and treatment services. Barriers to access for young people who inject drugs include, but are not limited to: lack of youth-friendly harm reduction services, limited disaggregated data on young people and drug use, age restrictions and issues of confidentiality with existing drug services.