EDITOR: The following is a Report from a syringe exchange in a city comparable to Lancaster. Prevention is a lot cheaper than treatment. LGH’s states its mission as “To advance the health and well-being of the communities we serve.” Hypocrisy? ‘501 (c) 3 Public Charity’ has refused to lend support to an offer by the Urban League to operate a similar syringe exchange here in Lancaster.
Twenty participants were tested for HIV in February.
Total contacts: 293
Total IDU contacts: 256
Total unduplicated IDU contacts: 224
Syringes: 2620
Condoms distributed: Male- 2384, Female-48, Dental Dams-42 Finger Cots-50
Demographics of unduplicated IDU contacts:
African American male: 33
White Male: 39
Latino: 65
African American female: 25
White female: 35
Latina: 27
We completed 228 referrals for various services.
This month, as a result of our 83 total D&A referrals, five participants entered into drug treatment facilities. This indicates those of whom we are aware; there may be additional entries of which we are not aware.
