Organizing as a New Approach to AIDS Risk Reduction for Intravenous Drug Users

This paper looks at an innovative approach to AIDS risk reduction among intravenous drug users who are not in treatment. The new method utilizes an organizing model that involves the mobilization of drug users to promote risk reduction. This strategy targets the group as well as the individual for change. Standard outreach techniques have had some success in achieving HIV risk reduction, particularly for behavior that reduces risk through altering drug use behavior, but still leaves many users at risk. Intravenous drug users in the Netherlands and gays in the United States have organized around HIV-related issues with some success. Preliminary evidence from New York City suggests that organizing drug users may be an effective approach for achieving significant HIV risk reduction for individual users as well as those they associate with. Organizing strategies and the impact these strategies have had on risk reduction behaviors are briefly presented from an organizing project in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Finally, suggested areas for future research utilizing an organizing model are presented.