By: Dr. Geoffrey Modest
HIV outbreak reported in the NY Times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U53TGBHO4bk
Basically, a pretty remarkable HIV outbreak among injection drug users in Indiana:
–71 cases of HIV since mid-December, related to intravenous use of prescription painkiller Opana (long-acting oxymorphone)
–All in Scott County, population 24,000 and 19% live below poverty line. Usually “only” five new cases of HIV/year
–And, the outbreak was so striking that even the Republican governor (Pence), who long opposed needle-sharing programs (which, of course, might have prevented the outbreak), justified a 30-day needle exchange program since “this is all hands on deck. this is a very serious situation” … it’s [needle exchange] a commitment to compassion”. So, I guess this means he thinks that program would work and would be compassionate, just that it shouldn’t normally be available to injection drug users???
–It might even decrease spread of hepatitis Cc???