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Today: a thread of things you can read to learn about the increase of HIV cases tied to IV drug use: We’ll start very simply with a look at the raw numbers from DHHR.
2018: Less than 5 HIV cases tied to IV drugs in Kanawha
2019: 15 cases
2020: 32 cases
https://oeps.wv.gov/hiv-aids/documents/data/WV_HIV_2018-2020.pdf https://twitter.com/caitycoyne/status/1349858219485765633
2018: Less than 5 HIV cases tied to IV drugs in Kanawha
2019: 15 cases
2020: 32 cases
https://oeps.wv.gov/hiv-aids/documents/data/WV_HIV_2018-2020.pdf https://twitter.com/caitycoyne/status/1349858219485765633
In October 2019, the Kanawha-Charleston health dept. launched an HIV task force *specifically out of concern for an uptick in HIV cases tied to IV drug use.*
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/health/while-hiv-numbers-average-a-task-force-prepares-to-engage-community/article_69df27f7-95eb-59b7-b38a-72b276be5628.html
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/health/while-hiv-numbers-average-a-task-force-prepares-to-engage-community/article_69df27f7-95eb-59b7-b38a-72b276be5628.html
Until COVID, this task force met monthly. You can find stories from just about every one of these meetings. Those at the table regularly discuss the impact of addiction on helping people find services, the use of dirty needles, etc.
Here’s a story from 2018, where federal investigators note that HIV outbreaks in WV happen where people have little or no access to clean syringes. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/health/cdc-wv-counties-where-hiv-outbreak-detected-had-no-needle-exchange/article_6270fb7f-83d1-5ac2-908f-bb3a5abef6cc.html
Here’s a study from 2019 again tying HIV cases to IV drug use in WV instead of sexual contact. There are dozens of these, and thousands if you expand out-of-state. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30967302/
Here, @WVCBP looks at the cost of losing harm reduction services. It is *proven* science that syringe programs reduce the spread of infections, and they are cheaper to operate than the expenses that come with treating HIV and Hepatitis. https://wvpolicy.org/the-high-cost-of-losing-harm-reduction-in-kanawha-county/
A 2019 health advisory from KCHD on the threat of increased HIV rates among people who inject drugs. I have to imagine city councilors are supplied any health alerts within the city. https://www.kchdwv.org/health-advisory-162-human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infections-among-people-who-inject-drugs-additional-area-seeing-increase-others-vulnerable/
Here’s arguably the authority on HIV in Kanawha County, Christine Teague, sounding the alarm in April 2019. She says Kanawha and Charleston are “ripe” for an HIV outbreak tied to IV drug use. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/health/hiv-program-coordinator-says-not-enough-hiv-testing-done-in-kanawha/article_b5361e8d-83f0-5168-be89-5455a9fcb869.html
Recently @LaurenMPeace did a great explainer connecting the HIV rate increase to IV drug use and a lack of resources. This should be required reading if you’re going to vote on *anything* related to this topic. https://www.google.com/amp/s/mountainstatespotlight.org/2020/12/15/when-a-west-virginia-county-eliminated-its-needle-exchange-experts-forewarned-of-an-hiv-crisis-now-its-here/
In October 2020, the county’s HIV Task Force restarted after pausing for COVID-19. Again, leaders stressed the impact of IV drug use and worried about potential undercounts due to a decrease in testing https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/health/health-department-hiv-task-force-back-in-session-as-cases-tied-to-drug-use-rise/article_3c50d74a-f14d-5a4e-8cce-9844c1567396.html
And as resources have flooded to pandemic response, other issues — like HIV — have lost attention. Still, they have continued to rise and there is absolutely no arguing it’s tied to IV drug use.
These are facts. Unarguable, empirical facts. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/hiv-threat-looms-behind-covid-19-pandemic/article_ab989358-2780-5e21-949f-77381a609076.html
These are facts. Unarguable, empirical facts. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/hiv-threat-looms-behind-covid-19-pandemic/article_ab989358-2780-5e21-949f-77381a609076.html
I was stunned last night to hear someone in elected office claim they haven’t seen this evidence.
It is everywhere and has been for years.
I was also stunned to hear the number of claims non-medically trained councilors felt entitled to share, despite the inherent danger.
It is everywhere and has been for years.
I was also stunned to hear the number of claims non-medically trained councilors felt entitled to share, despite the inherent danger.
People’s lives are at stake here. It’s a right to disagree and not support a program, but as elected officials there should be a duty to make INFORMED decisions, not ignore science in favor of claims made in Facebook posts.
