Editing Needle sharing (section)

==Infections==
Blood-borne diseases are transmitted when a susceptible person uses a needle that was previously used by a person who is infected with these pathogens; hence, sharing needles with other individuals is not a safe practice.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sci_tech/features/health/sexualhealth/aids/needle.shtml "Sharing Needles"], ''BBC''</ref> It takes one simple prick of a contaminated needle to put someone at risk of acquiring [[Hepatitis B]], Hepatitis C, or HIV infections with Hepatitis B being the easiest to contract, followed by Hepatitis C then HIV.<ref name=":1" /> People who use previously used needles are at increased risk of getting infected with blood-borne pathogens such as HIV, [[Hepatitis B virus|HBV]], and [[Hepatitis C virus|HCV]], and spreading the infections to others.<ref name="fda.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/HomeHealthandConsumer/ConsumerProducts/Sharps/default.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109160453/http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/HomeHealthandConsumer/ConsumerProducts/Sharps/default.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 9, 2011|title=Safely Using Sharps (Needles and Syringes) at Home, at Work and on Travel|website=[[Food and Drug Administration]] |date=2019-06-15}}</ref> In addition to HIV, HBV, and HCV, some [[Sexually transmitted infection|sexually transmitted infections]] (STIs) can be transmitted to uninfected individuals due to the risky injection practices.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Fu R, Gutfraind A, [[Margaret Brandeau|Brandeau ML]] | title = Modeling a dynamic bi-layer contact network of injection drug users and the spread of blood-borne infections | journal = Mathematical Biosciences | volume = 273 | pages = 102–13 | date = March 2016 | pmid = 26775738 | pmc = 5154253 | doi = 10.1016/j.mbs.2016.01.003 }}</ref> 

According to [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC]], in 2013, sharing syringes was the cause of HIV infection in 3,096 out of the 47,352 patients who were newly diagnosed with the disease in the United States.<ref name=":2" /> According to a study done by New Haven Connecticut's needle exchange program, 67.5% of the needles returned to the facility were contaminated with HIV.<ref name="pmid1403641">{{cite journal | vauthors = Kaplan EH, Heimer R | title = A model-based estimate of HIV infectivity via needle sharing | journal = Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes | volume = 5 | issue = 11 | pages = 1116–8 | year = 1992 | pmid = 1403641 }}</ref> Their assumption was that people bringing in “street needles” were shared among other people prior to bringing them to the program.<ref name="pmid1403641" /> Almost 50% of people who participate in IVDU have Hepatitis C.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Platt L, Minozzi S, Reed J, Vickerman P, Hagan H, French C, Jordan A, Degenhardt L, Hope V, Hutchinson S, Maher L, Palmateer N, Taylor A, Bruneau J, Hickman M | display-authors = 6 | title = Needle syringe programmes and opioid substitution therapy for preventing hepatitis C transmission in people who inject drugs | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 2017 | pages = CD012021 | date = September 2017 | issue = 9 | pmid = 28922449 | pmc = 5621373 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD012021.pub2 | url = http://www.cochrane.org/CD012021/ADDICTN_interventions-reducing-hepatitis-c-infection-people-who-inject-drugs | author-link11 = Lisa Maher }}</ref> Not only are blood borne diseases passed via needle sharing, but so are bacterial infections that can ultimately cause [[sepsis]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web | url=https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs253/en/ | title=Health-care waste}}</ref> Additionally, improper disposal of hospital needles can expose [[Drug resistance|drug resistant]] organisms to the outside environment.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Fernandes RM, Cary M, Duarte G, Jesus G, Alarcão J, Torre C, Costa S, Costa J, Carneiro AV | display-authors = 6 | title = Effectiveness of needle and syringe Programmes in people who inject drugs - An overview of systematic reviews | journal = BMC Public Health | volume = 17 | issue = 1 | pages = 309 | date = April 2017 | pmid = 28399843 | pmc = 5387338 | doi = 10.1186/s12889-017-4210-2 | doi-access = free }}</ref>