Before this Sex and Politics in the Capital City session on Harm Reduction, I was not too familiar with the term. The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) defines harm reduction as a "public health philosophy and intervention that seeks to reduce the harms associated with drug use and ineffective drug policies," however we can also apply this definition to unsafe sexual practices and related policies. The discussion this week featured panelists representing DPA, Metro TeenAIDS, HIPS, and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable and addressed how these organizations use harm reduction strategies to combat the HIV/HCV epidemic and war on drugs specifically in Washington, D.C.

The panel emphasized the public need for harm reduction services and highlighted how public policy can prevent organizations to provide these services. For example, many states are banned from using federal money to fund syringe exchange programs and thus lack the necessary resources to provide this service. As approximately 36 percent of AIDS cases in the United States since the beginning of the epidemic can be attributed to injection drug use, these syringe exchange programs provide an opportunity to promote safer practices and prevent the spread of disease.

In addition to policy, negative stigma and stereotypes associated with drug addiction, HIV, and other STIs constitute significant barriers to accessing harm reduction services and care. Approximately 18.1% of people living with HIV are undiagnosed, and many do not seek treatment in fear of persecution from family, friends, and their communities.

However, I was especially interested and excited about this session because it directly addressed the specific issues faced by people living with HIV and people at risk for transmission living in Washington, D.C.  HIV disproportionately affects MSM populations across the United States; however African Americans and young people are also specifically at higher risk in D.C.  I am a native of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and plan to begin my career in health care in the district after finishing college. In addition to considering the international HIV/AIDS epidemic, I have an invaluable opportunity to learn more about the specific challenges facing individuals here as I complete my internship with the Forum in D.C.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it is currently pursuing a B.A. in Human Evolutionary Biology with a foreign language citation in Spanish at Harvard University.