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Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine logoLink to Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
. 2004 Mar;81(1):14–19. doi: 10.1093/jurban/jth083

Updating the infection risk reduction hierarchy: Preventing transition into injection

David Vlahov 1,✉, Crystal M Fuller 1,2, Danielle C Ompad 1, Sandro Galea 1, Don C Des Jarlais 3
PMCID: PMC3456135  PMID: 15047779

Abstract

Current approaches to prevention of blood-borne infections in injection drug users include referral to drug abuse treatment, access to sterile syringes, bleach disinfection of injection equipment, and education about not sharing equipment. However, rates of some blood-borne infections (e.g., hepatitis C virus) remain elevated among injection drug users, especially early after initiation into injection drug use. With lower infection rates in noninjectors and transition into injection drug use occurring most commonly among these noninjectors, prevention of transition into injection drug use as an additional step to reduce risk for acquisition and transmission of blood-borne infections merits closer attention.

Keywords: Hepatitis C virus, Hierarchy, Human immunodeficiency virus, Infection, Injection drug use, Prevention

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