A harm reductionist shares more about her work and what it's like providing harm reduction services in an area where they aren't always welcome.
When I'm not doing that, I do work in the community and push for policy changes. I get a small amount of operating funds — about $15,000 this year — from the Comer Foundation, a Chicago organization that supports health and education projects in the U.S. The change I can aboveboard make is incremental and at a snail's pace, so there can be a lot of asking for forgiveness, not permission.
For example, syringe exchange is illegal, but syringe disposal isn’t, so I do a lot of disposal projects in town. Used syringes remaining in circulation results in syringe litter, and there can be infections, which can escalate into more severe medical issues. Through a grant, I provided boxes and disposal service for used syringes, but that also gave me access to speak with people and check on wounds and do some education about safer use. That project got me on the public health stage.
Beyond that, I help people get tested for HIV and hepatitis, which are infections that people can get by reusing syringes. I also help them navigate the medical system. I've not had anyone test positive for HIV, but I've gotten four people into treatments for hepatitis C and am more than prepared for the eventuality of linking someone to HIV services when it’s needed.
It's slow, but policy and perception are changing. We’ve found creative ways into the system by working in the policy arena. I work with the Alabama Department of Public Health and with local organizations and colleges to do advocacy work. We just gotremoved from the list of arrestable legal paraphernalia this year, so people can't be in trouble for having those.
Even with all of this, at the end of the day, I’m still a one-person show with a few volunteers who help me out, so I'm always on the clock. On top of that, I'm a student. I take classes online, which makes it easier, but I can be up until five or six in the morning doing homework. I have a really hard time stepping away, because I’m afraid that if I’m not home to open the door or answer the phone, someone could actually die as a result.
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