Street Outreach Services (SOS)
Submitted by Gerard on Mon, 11/10/2003 - 3:49pm.
- AIDS Vancouver Island’s Street Outreach Services (SOS) provide services for people who use drugs by injection. The program is a core component of AVI’s responsibility to contain HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and other communicable diseases. SOS services are provided in Victoria, Courtenay, Campbell River, and in Port Hardy.
- SOS offers needle exchange and health promotion/harm reduction information in addition to relevant programming and a drop-in.
- Anonymous HIV, Hep C, Pregnancy and STD testing is provided on-site by the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) Street Nurse Program. Vaccinations, referrals and other services are also available.
- AVI’s Health Promotion team has developed HIV and hep C prevention programs targeted to this population, and provides regular workshops and peer education sessions.
- SOS ensures accessible needle disposal for users by providing syringe drop boxes and teams of volunteer “rig diggers” who patrol the area surrounding the exchange and collecting abandoned syringes and related paraphernalia.
- In 2006-2007, the Victoria program distributed 740,016 syringes with a return rate of 104%.
For information or to access services, call (250) 384-2366, Ext. 120.