Public health and enhancement drugs
This conference will focus on the nature of drug use with both public health implications and opportunities for effective harm reduction interventions.
9 Apr 2014 | Liverpool, UKThe use of enhancement drugs is by no means a new phenomenon. However, in recent years, needle and syringe programmes across the United Kingdom have experienced a significant increase in clients reporting the use of these drugs.
For many of these services, the majority of their clients are no longer opiates or stimulant users but injectors of anabolic steroids, growth hormones and other peptide hormones such as melanotan II. The levels of harm caused by enhancement drugs, in particular relating to those new and emerging drugs, remains largely unknown.
However, case reports and crosssectional studies indicate a range of chronic adverse conditions associated with this form of drug use. These include liver damage, cardiovascular pathologies, genitourinary disorders, and additionally, the presence of blood borne viruses including HIV, all of which contribute to this public health concern.
With leading international and UK speakers, this conference will explore the nature of this drug use together with the public health implications and the opportunities for effective harm reduction interventions.
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