Unsafe injection practices can be a serious threat to a patient’s health. Health care providers (doctors, nurses, and anyone providing injections) should never reuse a needle or syringe from one patient to another. Both the needle and syringe must be discarded once they have been used. Reusing a needle or syringe can put patients in danger of getting hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV.
The Health Department is a member of the One & Only Campaign, which began in 2009 in response to large numbers of patients having potential exposure to infectious diseases such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV due to unsafe injection practices. The campaign was developed by the Safe Injection Practices Coalition, a partnership of health care-related organizations, patient advocacy organizations, industry partners, and other public health partners led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).