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Fayette County Considers Needle Exchange To Prevent HIV

Gretchen Frazee
/
IPBS

Fayette County health officials in Eastern Indiana are trying to learn from the HIV outbreak in Scott County as they consider implementing a needle exchange of their own.

Scott County created a needle exchange under recently passed legislation to combat an HIV epidemic that’s infected more than 160 people and it seems to be working. The spread of the virus is tapering off.

Connersville in Fayette County has been fighting a high rate of heroin use for decades. And in recent months needle-sharing has caused a spike in Hepatitis C—a disease that often goes hand in hand with HIV.

Fayette Regional Health System CEO Randy White says he was skeptical of a needle exchange like the one in Scott County until he met with county officials last week to consider their options.

“Putting some numbers around the cost of our community, which cannot afford to have an outbreak happen, both socioeconomically and just the way people view your county, would be more devastating to us than not doing something,” says White.

Fayette County must ask for state approval before any exchange could be implemented and, even then, White says they must find the resources to get the program off the ground.

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