Indiana Gov. Authorizes Needle-Exchange Program to Deal with Recent HIV Outbreak
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Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock(INDIANAPOLIS) — Indiana Gov. Mike Pence authorized a needle-exchange program for an Indiana county dealing with a string of HIV cases.
Scott County, Indiana, has been dealing with the outbreak — 84 confirmed HIV cases and five more preliminary positive cases — for weeks. On Saturday, Pence approved the needle-exchange program as part of a “comprehensive emergency executive order.”
The Indiana Department of Health says that the executive order, and thus the needle program, are currently slated to expire on April 25, but re-evaluation will take place at that time to determine whether it should be continued.
“As State Health Commissioner and a physician, it is my hope that Scott County residents who need these services will take advantage of them and get the help they need and want,” State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams said in a statement.
Participants in the program will be asked to discuss their rate of drug use. Data will be used for research and statistical uses.
Each participant will be given enough needles for one week, according to the IDH. They will then be asked to bring their used needles in for exchange, in order to provide both clean needles to prevent the spread of HIV and a chance to present information about substance abuse treatment and HIV/AIDS prevention.
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