Tips For ASafer Injection

Pinewood Centreof Lakeridge Health

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What’s Inside...

About this bookletHIVHepatitis B & CBacterial Infections

Needles

After you injectOverdose - What To Watch ForProject X ChangeCommunity Supports

Be Prepared:

CookersWaterFiltersAlcohol SwabsAcidifiersTourniquetsSharps disposalDigging around causes damageCondoms

Choosing a place to injectInjecting

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If you are an injection drug user this book willgive you some tips for a safer injection.

Safer injections reduce personal harm such asinfections. This includes HIV, Hepatitis B&C,skin abscesses and blood infections.

If you are an injection drug user this book willgive you some tips for a safer injection.

Safer injections reduce personal harm such asinfections. This includes HIV, Hepatitis B&C,skin abscesses and blood infections.

“The benefits would be the lower riskof spread of infections likehepatitis C and HIV. I think thatit has been a benefit to my health,definitely. Like being more self awareon safety issues “

“The benefits would be the lower riskof spread of infections likehepatitis C and HIV. I think thatit has been a benefit to my health,definitely. Like being more self awareon safety issues “

Anonymous client from Insite, Vancouver

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HEPATITIS B & C

HIV can be spread by sharing used injectionequipment or having sex with someone whois infected.

HIV can only be spread through some body fluids(blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk)

HIV

HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS. AIDSdamages the body’s immune system &makes it harder for the body to fight disease.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis

B is spread through blood or body fluids(semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, urine, tears) orcoming into contact with open sores of aninfected person.

C infection is spread by contact withinfected (dirty needles, tattooneedles, piercing equipmentand used razors).

Hepatitis B & C put you at riskfor liver disease and liver cancer.

blood

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Bacterial Infections

You might have an infection if:

don't use dirty needles

you have a spot that is sore or red or hot to the touchyou have a fever (chills, sweaty, shivering)you don't feel as good as you usually do

If it doesn't get better in a couple of days, see adoctor.There may be times when you feel unwelcome at thedoctor's office or clinic. Do NOT let that stop you fromgetting help. Your health is important.

Infections can sometimes look like as a sore with pusin it, like a pimple but bigger and more painful.Infections may start at an injection site, but can quicklyspread through your body to these places:

skin or flesh (cellulitis)bloodstream (sepsis, “blood poisoning”)brain (meningitis)heart (endocarditis)

Help protect yourself from infections:wash your hands any time you have a chancealways clean your injection site with alcoholdon't lick anything (needle, injection site)

, if they're your owneven

•••

••••

••••

Infections can get bad really fast & can even killyou.

Infections happen when germs get into a breakin the skin and spread.

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Keep a supply of new, clean needles on hand.You can get these through Project X Change.

Reusing or sharing needles can spread infectionslike HIV, Hep B and Hep C. Reusing also leads toskin infections and damage to the vein when theybecome dull from using them over again.

Don’t let other people inject you. Learn how toinject yourself.

Be Prepared:Needles

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Be Prepared:

Use a new, clean cooker to prepare injections andonly draw up from the cooker with new, sterileneedles.Don't share cookers. New, clean cookers areavailable from Project X Change, where you getnew needles.

Don't share cookers and needles. Reusing cookerscan cause an infection.

Cookers

Sharing water can cause infection.Get sterile water from Project X Change.

Using other liquids like tap water, puddle water,toilet water or body fluids like urine and salivaseriously increase your risk of infections.

Sterile water is your best choice. If you don'thave it, use water boiled for 10 minutes.

Water

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Be Prepared:

Use a new filter every time and throw usedones away as soon as you are done with them.New filters are available from Project X Change.

Never re-use a filter or share it with another person.Using things like cigarette filters, cotton balls orrolling papers is dangerous.

Making washes from used filters can causeserious infections.

Filters

Alcohol swabs are available at

Use a clean alcoholswab to clean theskin before and afterinjections to decreasethe risk of infections.Sharing or re-usingalcohol swabsspreads infection.

Project X Change.

Alcohol SwabsAlcohol Swabs

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Be Prepared:

Single, new packets of ascorbic acid are availablethrough Project X Change.

Using things like lemon juice and vinegar tobreak up drugs can be dangerous. It damagesyour veins and leads to serious infections.

Even the ascorbic acid from Project X Change canhurt your veins.

Never share acidifiers because they can spreadserious infections.

Acidifiers

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New tourniquets/ties are availableat Project X Change.

Use a new, clean easy-releasetourniquet each time you inject.This reduces the chance of gettingan infection or damaging a vein.

Tourniquets

To throw out needles safely, get a sharps containerfrom Project X Change. Put your used needle inthe sharps container right away after you inject.

Sharps disposalSharps disposal

Be Prepared:Digging aroundcauses damage

Condoms

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Tourniquets

Sharps disposal

Be Prepared:

Make your veins easy tofind: exercise byflexing muscles or usinga squeeze ball.

Drink lots of water. This will make your veinsbigger and easier to find.

Try to inject in a different place each time.

Always use a new condom for kind of sex(oral, vaginal or anal).

Project X Change haslots of different kindsof condoms.

any

Digging aroundcauses damageDigging aroundcauses damage

Condoms

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Acidifiers

Diagram Courtesy of AIDS Committee Vancouver

Choosing a Place to Inject

PLACES:BAD

PLACES:Safer

Head & Neck

Wrists

Crotch

Legs

Hands & Feet

Arms

GO

NOheadneckwristcrotch

armslegshandsfeet

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Filters

Alcohol Swabs

Plan to shoot up in a safe, secure place that hasrunning water.

Inject with someone else (in case of overdose) butdon't share equipment.

Choose an injection site.

Try to use a different spot on your body every timeyou use.

If you have been clean for a while or have anew dealer, do a small amount first.

Wash your hands and theinjection site with soap and water.

Clean the injection site withan alcohol swab.

Put on a clean, new tourniquet/tie.

Make sure the tourniquet is tight enough thatthe vein fills up with blood, but can still bepulled off easily.

Injecting:

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Cookers

Water

Insert the needleinto the vein ata 30-45 degreeangle, bevel up(sloped side up).

Pull back theplunger untilyou see dark red bloodcoming into the needle.This lets you know that you’re in a vein.If the blood is , pull out. You may be inan artery. Only inject into a vein, never an artery.

Untie tourniquet. Inject slowly while taking adeep breath.

Take the needle out slowly and put pressureon the site with a clean alcohol swab.

bright red

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Clean the injection site with an alcohol swab& apply pressure.

Place all used needles in a sharps containerright away.

Don't lick the site. .

Try to give your veins a rest, especially if theyare damaged. Think about smoking, snorting oreating your drugs instead.

Spit causes infection

After You InjectNeedles

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Overdose - What To Watch For

Overdose is the leading causeof death in injection drug users.

WATCH FOR:

Uppers (stimulant)

Downers (depressant)

seizure,chest pain, fast or weird heart beat,loss of control of body, sweating, large pupils,hot body temperature

heavysnoring, hardly breathing or not breathing at all,blue around the lips, tiredness, body feels limp,cold and clammy skin, slow heart beat

cocaine, meth, crack:

heroin, oxycontin:

Stay with a person who has overdosed andhave someone call 911 for help.

Seek Medical Help if you have:••••••

Fever, chills, sweats, dizzinessRedness, warmth, swelling & pain at injection siteHeadaches, sick to your stomach, throwing upTrouble breathingChest painAre feeling sick for many days in a row.

INFECTION:

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Info on diseases that can be contracted throughinjection drug use and risky sex

Connect with services like health care(e.g. Sexual Health Clinics), addiction counsellingand other community resources

Harm Reduction Services

Health information

Free condoms and lubricant

Referrals

Clean needles and a place to get rid of used ones,alcohol swabs, sterile water, cookers, tourniquets,filters, ascorbic acid and sharps containers

PROJECT X CHANGE

New NeedlesCollection of Used Needles

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If you are an injection drug user this book willgive you some tips for a safer injection.

Safer injections reduce personal harm such asinfections. This includes HIV, Hepatitis B&C,skin abscesses and blood infections.

“The benefits would be the lower riskof spread of infections likehepatitis C and HIV. I think thatit has been a benefit to my health,definitely. Like being more self awareon safety issues “

Oshawa 75 Richmond St.W.Ajax 136 Commercial Ave.Bowmanville 132 Church St.Whitby 105 Consumers Drive

John Howard Society of Durham Region

905-579-8482905-427-8165905-623-6814905-666-8847

Contact Information:

Project X Change Mobile Outreach:Monday-Friday 6:00 pm - 11:00 pmOshawa, Whitby,Courtice & BowmanvilleAjax, Pickering & Port Perry

905-438-68701-888-245-1045

Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm

AIDS Committee of Durham Region

Pinewood Centre

22 King St. W., OshawaSuite 202

300 Centre St. S., Oshawa

905-576-1445

905-723-8195

PROJECTXCHANGE

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Individualized approach to care for HIV/AIDS & HEP C

John Howard Society of Durham RegionMain Office

905-579-8482

Durham Region Health Department

FREEFREE

905-433-8901905-420-8781905-985-4891

AIDS Committee of Durham Region

Positive Care Clinic

905-668-6831 ext. 3127

Pinewood Centre of Lakeridge Health

905-723-8195

75 Richmond St. W, OshawaCall:www.jhsdurham.on.ca

Counseling, information, STI testingHepatitis A & B vaccines

OshawaAjax/PickeringPort Perry

HIV/AIDS counselling, support, information & advocacy

www.aidsdurham.com

Call:www.lakeridgehealth.on.ca

Addiction ServicesCall:www.pinewoodcentre.org

Sexual Health Clinics

www.durham.ca

Call: 905-576-1445

Community Supports

May 09

Please be safe.

Durham

Harm Reduction

Coalition