Infectious Diseases Continue to Spread Among People Who Inject Drugs

<p>People who inject drugs are at risk of HIV and other infectious diseases, especially when syringes are reused or shared with others. The current overdose crisis in Philadelphia and the more recent widespread prevalence of fentanyl in the city&rsquo;s illicit drug supply has contributed to the rise of new HIV cases among this population. Use of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid with a shorter duration of action than other opioids, results in people needing to inject more frequently to prevent withdrawal symptoms. This in turn increases the demand for sterile syringes and the risk that syringes will be reused and shared if sterile syringes are unavailable. In addition to HIV, the reuse and sharing of syringes in the fentanyl era has also contributed to a rise in other infections related to injection drug use, including viral hepatitis, skin and soft tissue infections, bacteremia, and infective endocarditis.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/@PHLPublicHealth/infectious-diseases-continue-to-spread-among-people-who-inject-drugs-a026580c4126"><strong>Visit Now</strong></a></p>