Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Prevention in Injection Drug Users and Their Partners and Children: Lessons Learned in Latin America—The Argentinean Case

Abstract

Thirty-nine percent of Argentineans living with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were infected with human immunodeficiency virus through the injection of drugs. However, it was not until the 1990s that harm reduction programs were created. Research and outreach projects have been developed to identify and interact with the hidden injection drug user (IDU) population. Implementation of rapid assessment and response methodology contributed to the founding of Argentina's first syringe exchange program. Community-based outreach is the appropriate method for working with the impoverished population of Buenos Aires. Seroprevalence studies and focused prevention campaigns targeting IDUs and their sex partners and children have been developed. Collaborations between government and nongovernmental organizations in various cities supported the distribution of prevention and harm reduction messages to 900 IDUs within a 3-month period. Ongoing research, community-based interventions, and collaborative work among different organizations allow for more frequent and more consistent contact with the IDU population of Argentina.