Joining the Circle: An Aboriginal Harm Reduction Model

A guide for developing harm reduction programs among Aboriginal communities -Reserves, urban, and prison - as a response to the crisis of HIV transmission through injection drug use (IDU). Sources of information for the guide include a survey of 126 Aboriginal IDUs in various Canadian cities and prisons. The authors describe the situation of IDU among the Aboriginal community and highlight the four components of a harm reduction model: needle exchange programs; condom distribution; methadone maintenance treatment; and counselling. Other sections include: research methodology for the survey; Aboriginal IDU Behaviour and Potential Harm; Canadian Prisons and the Issue of HIV/AIDS and Aboriginal People; Mobility Issues; Barriers to Harm Reduction based on survey responses; and Conclusions and Recommendations for the Implementation of an Aboriginal Community Harm Reduction Program.