Argumentative Essay On Hiv And Aids

Throughout the world there are many different issues regarding STI/HIV that is causing premature deaths and a reduction in quality of life. Specifically, there are many diseases that are contracted through intravenous drug use, many of which can be prevented. Blood borne pathogens can be transmitted through intravenous drug use. Intravenous drug use, or IDU, is performed with a needle and syringe through injection, which directly puts drugs into the bloodstream. Drug users often share or use dirty needles, syringes, and other equipment, which greatly increases the chances of contracting various diseases. The use of drugs alone can be very dangerous, but with the addition of shared needles the probability of contracting a disease significantly increases. There are many risks associated with the use of septic needles and syringes, such as; Hepatitis C or B, HIV/AIDS, Tetanus, Cellulitis, Thrombophlebitis, and Necrotizing Fasciitis (Douglas 2007). All of these diseases increase the likelihood of contracting other life threatening diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “Through 2012, the cumulative total of deaths among people with AIDS attributed to IDU was 186,728 or 28% of the total deaths
People who do not support the implementation of needle exchanges believe such programs will only promote drug abuse by giving needles to those with an addiction. Also, many people who are against needle exchanges do not think that they should receive federal funding. Banning the use of federal funding on needle exchange programs dramatically impacts the number of programs available. Without the availability of federal funding needle exchange programs must find other ways to support their programs. As a result, this is causing many programs to close because they are unable to raise the funds necessary to sustain such