Publication

It is estimated that worldwide there are nearly 12.7 million people who inject drugs. Approximately 1.7 million, or 13%, are also living with HIV. Injecting drug use is found in nearly every country. Typically, when heroin injection reaches a new community, there is an exponential increase in HIV transmission. People who inject drugs continue to face punitive legal environments, a variety of human rights abuses and have poor access to services; these and other factors combine to exacerbate their risks of acquiring HIV.