Addressing the needs of sexual partners of people who inject drugs through peer prevention programs in Iran

Abstract

Despite the fact that HIV epidemic is mainly driven by injection drug use in Iran, partners of People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) have been seriously neglected in terms of effective preventive interventions. Currently, sexual partners of PWID might have access to some harm reduction services at Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centers; however, their needs have not been effectively targeted and met. Unfortunately, the current programs implemented by the Ministry of Health have overlooked the importance of this population in the course of the HIV epidemic throughout the country. In this policy brief, we are trying to draw the health policy-makers' attention to this overlooked population and while reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of some of the readily available options on the table, come up with a recommended action to tackle this problem. Our recommended action that seems to have had promising results elsewhere in Asia would try to implement preventive interventions targeting this particular population through peer prevention programs.

Estratégias de redução de danos no uso prejudicial de álcool e outras drogas: revisão de literatura

“…The HR programs are sensitive to the social, economic and political context in which that are inserted. These singularities allow for differences in the approaches in a training of professionals, the make-up of teams and in the services and products that are offered [12][13][14][15] .…”

“…The information can be re-passed verbally to the users of the services as well to the mutual help groups. Iran 15,40 , USA 23 , Thailand 18 , Switzerland 24 , India 29 , England 35,41 , Tanzania 32 and China 38 adopted informative interventions associated with other HR services. The preventative information can also be spread through printed material that usually accompany the supplies which is the case with the syringes, pipes and HR kits offered in the experiences in Brazil 4,21,32 and in Tanzania 42 .…”

“…With the advances in pharmacology, new substances started to become a part of the offer for substitution drugs such as the use of methadone and the compound Buprenorphine-naloxone used in the treatment for those dependent on opiates. This was a strategy adopted in various countries such as USA 45 , Nepal 16 , India 46 , Thailand 18 , Indonesia 31 , Iran 47,48 , Brazil 8 , China 38 and Malaysia 49 .…”

“…These aspects make adhering to the treatment difficult 46,49 . In an Iranian experience of HR, the high cost of methadone was countered by the prescription of naloxone which also minimizes the risks of overdoses through opiates 48 . The availability of medications and the guidance in relation to its use had been a way to prevent the risk of acute intoxication.…”

Iran’s shift in family planning policies: concerns and challenges

“…Accordingly, this could lead to an increase in the socio-economic gap between the privileged and the impoverished in the long run. Vulnerable women (including female sex workers and female intravenous drug users), who rely mostly on public services with regards to contraceptives and FP services, are another important group of population whose needs should be taken into account (17)(18)(19). Restricting the access of such important populations to contraception, could render tons of money and years of effort spent on promoting safe sex and reducing sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), utterly useless (20).…”