Warning after new cases of HIV among drug users

Published on Monday 20 February 2012 13:16

A HEALTH warning his been issued after six drug users in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area were diagnosed HIV-positive.

The health authority said the cases were all diagnosed within the space of around two months.

Addicts were urged to seek help and avoid sharing needles.

The NHS said the area usually sees up to ten cases in a year.

A spokeswoman said the recent spike in numbers is a concern, and that some cases are linked.

The board’s public health protection unit said free sterile equipment and contraception are available.

Public health consultant Eleanor Anderson said: “It is important for injecting drug users to engage with the wide range of services we offer designed to help them tackle their addictions.

“However for those who continue to inject, we remind them to take all the safety precautions necessary to protect themselves and others.”

Drug use is considered a major cause of HIV infections. Shared needles and drug equipment can spread HIV, hepatitis and other diseases.

Health Protection Scotland estimates that around 4,000 people in Scotland have been diagnosed HIV-positive.

While the average annual number of new reports has risen in the past decade, diagnoses among injecting drug users decreased after harm-reduction measures in the early 1990s.

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