“Harm reduction interventions for people who use drugs—such as needle and syringe programmes (NSP) and opioid
substitution therapy (OST)—are cost-effective, protect against HIV and hepatitis C, and save lives. Harm reduction is explicitly
mentioned in one of the five combination prevention pillars endorsed by the Global HIV Prevention Coalition”
“Women are estimated to account for one third of the 275 million people who use drugs globally. Women who use drugs are consistently reported to have less access to harm reduction services and to be at higher risk of HIV and hepatitis C infection than men who use drugs. Despite these reports, robust data on this subject is scarce, and research on drug use and related health issues rarely produces information about women.”
