HIV Seropositivity of Needles from Shooting Galleries in South Florida
Document Type
Contribution to Book
Publication Date
12-18-2018
Keywords
HIV transmission, Drug abuse, Florida
Abstract
Needle/syringe combinations were collected from three shooting galleries in South Florida and tested for the presence of antibodies to HIV-1. Fifteen of 148 needles (10.1 percent) tested positive for HIV-1 antibody. Seropositivity rates did not vary by the day of the week of collection, nor by shooting gallery from which they were collected. When the needle appeared to contain blood residue, 20.0 percent were positive versus 5.1 percent with no blood residue. These findings suggest that needles/syringes used in shooting galleries are likely to serve as reservoirs and/or vectors of transmission of the HIV-1 virus, and that although visual inspection of the needle/syringe may be useful in lessening the chance for transmission, even the visually "clean" needles may result in transmission of infection.
First Page
357
Last Page
364
Book Title
Promoting the Public Good: Policy in the Public Square and the Church
Editor
Terry-McElrath, Yvonne M., Curtis J. Vanderwaal, Alina M. Baltazar, David J. B. Trim
Publisher
Avondale Academic Press
City
Cooranbong, N.S.W.
ISBN
0987417258
First Department
Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
McBride, Duane C.; Chitwood, Dale D.; McCoy, Clyde B.; Inciardi, James A.; Comerford, M.; Trapido, Edward J.; McCoy, H. Virginia; Page, John Bryan; Griffin, J.; and Fletcher, Mary, "HIV Seropositivity of Needles from Shooting Galleries in South Florida" (2018). Faculty Publications. 1025.
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pubs/1025