Details
NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM
- Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department 1500 Chapline Street, Suite 106, Wheeling, WV, 8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday on a walk-in basis.
- Northwood Health Systems 111 19th St, Wheeling, WV, Friday 1:00-4:30pm on a walk-in basis.
- WOCHD Project HOPE Mobile Health Clinic, Saturday 8:30-12noon around Wheeling’s homeless encampments, shelters and gathering areas.
Needle Exchange Program provides a way for those individuals who are an injecting drug user (IDUs) who continue to inject to safely dispose of used syringes and to obtain sterile syringes at no cost. The program addresses two issues with our growing intravenous drug problem; Assist in stopping the spread of infectious disease by getting dirty needles off the street and create an opportunity for health care workers to connect with addicts. Overall goal of the program is to reduce and/or prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis through the use of dirty syringes. The Needle Exchange will offer a 1 for 1 exchange of syringes at a specific location. Other Services:
- HIV/AIDS education, testing and counseling (referral)
- Condom distribution to prevent sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases
- Referrals to substance abuse treatment and other medical and social services
- Distribution of alcohol swabs to help prevent abscesses and other bacterial infections
- Tuberculosis (TB) screening, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and other infections (referral)
- Vaccinations (at the health department)