Positive Health Care For HIV Health care groups team t am up to minimize mInImIze the risk of infection from HIV and Hepatitis C. C 1 By Hope Rowe Community Editor 5 00 Positive Health Care the nations nation's first comprehensive health care caree center center e ter targeting risk high-risk clients including current and former intravenous drug users announced its opening last week Positive Health Project a New NewYork NewYork NewYork York City syringe exchange program program program pro pro- gram and Diversified Health Systems Management Inc have teamed up in efforts to minimize the risk of infection from HIV and Hepatitis C within risk high-risk populations and to maintain the health of those who have already contracted these diseases Positive Health Care will provide primary medical care dentistry HIV AIDS testing and counseling services The health healthcare healthcare healthcare care centers center's patient base includes clients from syringe exchange programs throughout the city Positive Health Care provides medical services in a respectful bv a i r t 4 vIt t 4 ix tI Photo courtesy of Positive Health Care compassionate manner said Dr Richard Gold medical director of Positive Health Care It is our hope that by offering them access to high quality and non-discriminatory non health care they will begin to realize their worth self-worth and make lifestyle changes that can reduce their health risks According to Gold many intravenous IV drug users and other risk high-risk populations are homeless and therefore have limited limited limited lim lim- access to medical services Moreover this population often avoids medical services for fear of legal repercussions and dis dis- dis- dis crimination associated with drug addiction Although New York City encompasses only three percent of the US U.S. population the city claims 16 percent of all AIDS cases in the nation In the year 2000 39 percent of the to new HIV AIDS cases reported in New NewYork NewYork NewYork York City were attrib attributed ted to intravenous drug usage according according according accord accord- ing to the New York City Department of Health HIV HIV AIDS I AIDS Surveillance program In the US U.S. intravenous drug users account for 30 percent of all new HIV HIV AIDS I AIDS cases Positive Health Project Inc is isa isa isa a program targeting intravenous drug users and other substance users workers in the sex industry individuals and their partners Their services include syringe exchange street outreach support support support sup sup- port groups case management mental health services HIV Hepatitis C Virus treatment advocacy HIV HIV educational workshops women's services and cy Independent research studies have shown needle exchange programs programs programs pro pro- grams have significantly reduced the risk of HIV infection in the intravenous drug user In 2001 I 33 states had syringe exchange programs Most exchange programs work by trading a used needle for a anew anew anew new one According to the Utah State Health Department undercurrent undercurrent under undercurrent current state laws a syringe is considered drug paraphernalia therefore syringe exchanges are illegal in Utah However rumor has it there are various local underground exchanges The only listing found on the internet for a syringe program in the state was the Utah Syringe Exchange Regrettably the number has been disconnected and no further information is available C