Date: 12-14-2017
Kentucky leads nation in HIV vulnerable counties, Lawrence County is 39th on list of 220 counties at risk in nation…
Lawrence Health Dept. director adds comment to story
Mark,
“…As you know, Lawrence County is listed as #39 on that list of 220 US counties vulnerable to an HIV outbreak and we do not have a needle exchange program. Unlike Wolfe County, we actually have the funds ready to go. Lawrence County ASAP recently received a $20,000 Harm Reduction grant from KY – ASAP. We have received Board of Health approval, Louisa City Council approval and have the necessary funding.
We simply need approval from Lawrence County Fiscal Court and we can implement a Harm Reduction Syringe Exchange Program for Lawrence County.”
“…I am aware that this program will not solve the drug crisis, but it will lessen the harm that comes with IV drug use by reducing the spread of Hepatitis C and HIV, providing education on proper disposal of needles and linking clients to substance use treatment. I encourage people to share their opinions of the program with their magistrates, whether in favor of the program or not. Through collaboration with law enforcement, healthcare providers, and counseling and treatment services we can make our community a healthier place for everyone.”
Thank you,
Debbie
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Kentucky’s Appalachian hills may be site of the next big HIV outbreak
ZOE, Ky. – Andiria Tipton figured it was her job, as the older kid, to crawl around under a bed and pick up dirty drug needles.
She’s matter-of-fact about why: “I had to keep them from my little sister.”
Andiria has learned a lot about the hellish world of addiction in her short 10 years. But she’s also found refuge from it as one of eight kids being raised by Lisa Lacy-Helterbrand, who takes in children of people struggling with addiction. All but one began life in drug withdrawal.
Addiction is endemic in these Appalachian hills. It’s gained so much ground that the nation’s foremost health experts fear one plague will spawn another, that rampant intravenous opioid use will lead to a drug-fueled HIV outbreak like the one that struck Austin, Indiana in 2015. That outbreak was the largest to hit rural America in recent history, with a rate comparable to countries in Africa.
Lee County, where Lacy-Helterbrand’s family lives, is one of 54 in Kentucky and 220 nationwide identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the most vulnerable to a similar outbreak. Neighboring Wolfe County tops the list as the most likely place to become the next Austin.
Kentucky leads the nation in vulnerable counties, with most clustered in an Appalachian region marred by drugs, doctor shortages, economic ruin and hopelessness. One drug needle shared by someone with HIV could easily be the match to this powder keg.
Yet only 33 of the 220 vulnerable counties have working exchanges where addicts can trade dirty needles for clean ones, Courier Journal found. Of Kentucky’s 54 vulnerable counties, 33 lack needle exchanges. Among them is Wolfe, which approved an exchange but is still trying to come up with money for the needles.
Experts say forsaking these places could lead to the resurgence of a disease many Americans consider an old threat. Drug-related HIV infections are already creeping up across the nation. Even now, an outbreak may be quietly brewing.
“People have forgotten about HIV. … But it’s becoming clear you have the stage set for a major increase in these infections (in places) we’ve basically ignored,” said Dr. Paul Volberding, director of the University of California, San Francisco AIDS Research Institute. “Whenever we have an infectious disease and we turn our back, it bites us.”
Many believe the solution begins with fighting addiction in each family, school and community. But the sheer scope of the drug scourge dwarfs grassroots efforts – even by dedicated residents like Lacy-Helterbrand, who not only takes in children but also directs an organization that helps other needy Appalachian kids.
By Laura Ungar
Louisville Courier-Journal
