Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 19, 2026
A Training Program Using an Agility Ladder for Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Published on: March 7, 2020
Community Perceptions of Comprehensive Harm Reduction Programs and Stigma Towards People Who Inject Drugs in Rural
Logan S Baker1, Walter Smith2, Tauna Gulley3
1University of Virginia's College at Wise, 1 College Ave, Wise, VA, 24293, USA. lsb2f@uvawise.edu.
Community members in rural Virginia hold negative perceptions of people who inject drugs (PWID) and lack knowledge of comprehensive harm reduction (CHR) programs. High stigma towards PWID correlates with low support for CHR initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Science
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Injection drug use poses significant risks for infectious disease transmission, including HIV and Hepatitis C.
- Dickenson County, Virginia, is identified as a high-vulnerability area for HIV/HCV spread among people who inject drugs (PWID).
- Comprehensive Harm Reduction (CHR) is an evidence-based strategy to mitigate negative consequences of drug use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate community perceptions of CHR programs.
- To assess levels of stigma towards PWID in a rural Virginia community.
- To explore the relationship between stigma and support for CHR.
Main Methods:
- Anonymous surveys and interviews with community stakeholders in Dickenson County.
- Participant recruitment via online (email, social media) and in-person distribution of surveys.
- Statistical analysis of 153 completed surveys using Sigma Plot.
Main Results:
- A strikingly negative perception of PWID was observed in the rural Virginia community.
- Participants demonstrated limited knowledge of harm reduction programs and high levels of stigma towards PWID.
- Increased stigma toward PWID was associated with decreased support for CHR programs.
Conclusions:
- There is a clear need for harm reduction programs in rural Virginia.
- Low community knowledge and high stigma present significant barriers to implementing CHR programs.
- Addressing stigma and increasing awareness are crucial for successful harm reduction initiatives.
Related Concept Videos
14:13A Training Program Using an Agility Ladder for Community-Dwelling Older Adults
09:41Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
10:17High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry
08:30Intra-articular Shoulder Injection for Reduction Following Shoulder Dislocation
The anterior shoulder dislocation is one of the most common joint dislocations seen in emergency settings. In anterior shoulder dislocation, the humeral head is displaced out of the glenohumeral joint in front of the scapular glenoid, resulting in a loss of the articulation between the arm and the rest of the shoulder. This can be caused by a fall onto an abducted, extended, and externally...
11:32Perspectives on Sensation and Perception
The study of sensation—how signals are transduced from sensory organs, like the eyes—and perception—how the brain interprets these messages—has a rich history dating back to the 19th century, when great strides were made in understanding the properties of light and how they relate to the visual system. Importantly, such sensory and perceptual processes determine what we see, feel, taste, and hear in...
14:42Biology of Microbial Communities - Interview