About ACON

Don't Share A Bloody Thing

This campaign is designed to help prevent the transmission of HIV and hepatitis C among gay men who inject drugs by educating them about the risks of sharing injecting equipment.

The campaign is one of the actions coming from ACON’s recently released 3-year alcohol and drug strategy and reflects the harm minimisation approach adopted by the Federal and NSW governments.

Use your own injecting equipment

You can avoid getting a blood-borne virus (like HIV or hepatitis C) from injecting by always using all your own equipment (including fits, spoons, swabs, cotton wool and tourniquets) and not sharing any equipment with anybody else.

Plan ahead, stock up and clearly mark all your equipment.

If someone offers you a hit it is impossible to tell whether the injecting equipment is new and unused unless you see the packaging being opened and you watch how the drugs are being mixed up. It is important to take control of the way that your hit is prepared.

Risks for new injectors

Most people who get hep C pick it up in the first two years of injecting. Sharing needles to inject drugs can also be a risk for getting HIV. If you start injecting it is important to do it in ways that reduce risks. There is no one right way to inject safely. The environment and situation can be different each time. It is important to work out what you can do to make it less dangerous in each situation.

Remember to never share equipment and that the risk of picking up or passing on blood-borne viruses increases when you are injected by someone else.

Equipment disposal

All equipment, especially sharps, should be placed in a puncture proof container, preferably a fitpack, and taken to an NSP or disposed of in a community sharps bin.

HIV

HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, which is the body’s defence against infection and disease.

For gay men, the main way HIV can be passed on is through having unprotected anal sex and sharing injecting equipment.

Hep C

Hep C is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver, which can lead to severe symptoms like chronic fatigue, depression and cirrhosis. Hep C is transmitted by blood-to-blood contact and is more infectious than HIV. Sharing any equipment such as fits, tourniquets, water, filters or spoons when injecting puts you at risk of contracting or passing on hep C.

HIV and Hep C

For people with HIV, hep C is a more serious illness, and tends to progress more quickly than for other people. Having hep C can also affect HIV treatment choices, as many HIV treatments can affect your liver.

Avoiding blood spillage and vein damage

Only ever use new and unused injecting equipment. Learn to inject in ways that reduce risks and use the smallest tip possible to help avoid excessive bleeding. To avoid damaging your veins rotate injecting sites, be gentle and don’t jack back after injecting.

You can avoid excessive bleeding and visible signs of injecting by carefully swabbing the skin with an alcohol wipe before injecting, and gently pressing cotton wool onto the injecting site afterwards.

If some blood does get spilt, clean the area well and wash your hands. If soap and water is not available use alcohol swabs.

Blood can be present even if you can’t see it

Blood can be present when you are injecting and having sex, even if you can’t see it.

Make sure injecting equipment is new, unused and needles are from an unopened pack and that you always use condoms and lube when having sex.

Have enough equipment for any situation and ensure all surfaces are clean and that you wash your hands.

Getting new injecting equipment

Injecting can be a complicated and risky process. You can get information about all aspects of safety and wellbeing as well as injecting equipment for free from Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs). NSPs can provide information on safer injecting, how to avoid overdoses and dirty hits, and more. NSPs can also provide support and referrals if you want to cut down or stop using drugs. New injecting equipment is also available from pharmacies. All ACON branches have NSPs. Call 1800 063 060 during business hours for more information.