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Federal Funding for Syringe Services Programs: <br />Saving Money, Promoting Public Safety, and Improving Public Health 5 <br />www.amfar.org <br />of AIDS-related deaths among African Americans and other <br />people of color, the National HIV/AIDS Strategy prioritizes <br />intensified efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in <br />HIV-related health outcomes.58 Given the role of injection <br />drug use in contributing to the outsize HIV risks experienced <br />by communities of color, SSPs represent a critical tool for <br />minimizing HIV risks and addressing health disparities. <br />6. SSPs enjoy broad public and professional <br />support <br />As a result of their considerable public health, public safety, <br />and fiscal benefits, SSPs enjoy robust support across the <br />political spectrum, ranging from law enforcement officials <br />to advocates seeking the reform of drug laws. Numerous <br />national medical and public health organizations support <br />SSPs, including the American Medical Association,59 the <br />American Public Health Association,60 the National Academy <br />of Sciences,61 and the American Academy of Pediatrics.62 <br />So too do leading global bodies such as the World Health <br />Organization (WHO),63 the World Bank,64 and the International <br />Red Cross-Red Crescent Society.65 The American Bar <br />Association strongly supports SSPs,66 as does the U.S. <br />Conference of Mayors.67 <br /> In summary <br />The evidence is clear and conclusive. SSPs <br />prevent new HIV infections without leading to <br />increased drug use. SSPs also promote broader <br />health aims, save taxpayers money, promote <br />public safety, and enjoy broad public support. <br />Federal support for SSPs should be restored— <br />not only to advance these important public policy <br />aims, but also to provide the means for states <br />and local communities to determine the best <br />strategies to address their own health needs. <br />percent of those injured experiencing two or more needlestick <br />injuries.52 Syringe services programs have been found to <br />reduce needlestick injuries among police officers.53 <br />5. SSPs can help reduce health disparities <br />Communities of color are at far greater risk for HIV than <br />Americans overall. In 2010, 14 percent of the U.S. population <br />was African American, but that year, 44 percent of all new HIV <br />diagnoses in the U.S. were among African Americans—more <br />than any other racial or ethnic group.54 In states surveyed from <br />2007 to 2010, the rate of new HIV infections was eight times <br />higher among African Americans than whites, and three times <br />higher among Latinos than whites.55 In 2010, people of color <br />were overrepresented among both male and female injection <br />drug users newly infected with HIV.56 While AIDS-related <br />deaths for the broader U.S. population have sharply declined <br />over the last 15–20 years, AIDS remains the ninth leading <br />cause of death among African Americans overall and the third <br />leading cause of death for African Americans aged 35–44.57 <br />In light of the disproportionate risk of HIV infection and number <br />Source: CDC. (2012). HIV surveillance in injection drug users (through 2010). Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/ <br />idu/resources/slides/. (date last accessed: December 11, 2012) <br />In San Diego, nearly 30 percent of police <br />officers surveyed had been stuck by a needle <br />at least once.