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Social exclusion and legal marginalization are important determinants of health outcomes for people who use illicit drugs, sex workers, persons face criminal penalties because homosexuality or transgenderism. Incarceration may add to the risks associated with police repression discrimination these persons. Access services be essential positive in populations. Through concrete examples, this paper explores types problems linked drug users, sexual minorities makes recommendations donors,...

Abstract Background Despite Thailand's official reclassification of drug users as "patients" deserving care and not "criminals," the Thai government has continued to rely heavily on punitive responses use such "boot camp"-style compulsory "treatment" centers. There is very little research experiences with treatment centers among people who drugs. The work reported here a first step toward filling that gap. Methods We examined 252 inject drugs (IDU) participating in Mitsampan Community...

Background Despite Thailand's commitment to treating people who use drugs as “patients” not “criminals,” Thai authorities continue emphasize criminal law enforcement for drug control. In 2003, war received international criticism due extensive human rights violations. However, few studies have since investigated the impact of policing on drug-using populations. Therefore, we sought examine experiences with among inject (PWID) in Bangkok, Thailand, between 2008 and 2012. Methods Findings...

Expanding access to treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) is central addressing the US overdose mortality crisis. Numerous barriers OUD are encountered in criminal justice institutions and processes, with which people disproportionately involved. severely limited corrections facilities, few exceptions. Drug courts, principle provide court-supervised as an alternative prison, have also unduly options, particularly medication-assisted treatment. The voice expertise health professionals...

The global HIV/AIDS pandemic, and the role of unsafe drug injection as one its principal drivers, have added to list harms associated with use. has highlighted ways in which prohibitionist policy causes or contributes such focused attention on international regime illicit control. At same time, catalyzed "health human rights movement" articulate legal responses that both represent sound public health fulfill obligations recognized law; this necessarily includes scrutinizing interpretation...

Specialized drug treatment courts are a central part of drug-related policy and programs in the United States increasingly outside U.S. While theory they offer as humane pragmatic alternative to arrest incarceration for certain categories offenses, may exclude some forms treatment–notably methadone maintenance (MMT). We sought understand from perspective providers whether this exclusion existed was public health importance New York State case example state heavily committed with varying...

Abstract Female sex workers (FSWs) in China are exposed to multiple work-related harms that increase HIV vulnerability. Using mixed-methods, we explored the social-ecological aspects of sexual risk among 348 FSWs Beijing. Sex-work were assessed by property stolen, being underpaid or not paid at all, verbal and abuse, forced drinking; more than once. The majority (90%) reported least one type harm, 38% received harm protection from 'mommies' (i.e., managers) 32% unprotected with clients. In...

Abstract Background Thailand has for years attempted to address illicit drug use through aggressive law enforcement. Despite accounts of widespread violence by police against people who inject drugs (IDU), the impact not been well investigated. In wake an intensified crackdown in 2011, we sought identify prevalence and correlates experiencing beating among IDU Bangkok. Methods Community-recruited samples Bangkok were surveyed between June 2009 October 2011. Multivariate log-binomial...

• Agonist therapy for opioid use disorder (OUD) is often inaccessible in the US at a time of high overdose mortality. OUD could be offered by drug treatment courts as an alternative to criminal prosecution some offenses. Many courts, however, reject gold-standard agonist therapies, seeing them "another form addiction". Drug prefer offer extended-release naltrexone, but it costly and requires pre-treatment abstinence. have had limited success improving access

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission HIV (PMTCT) is an important part global and national responses to AIDS. In recent years, many countries have adopted laws criminalise exposure. Many these are broadly written provisions that enable criminal prosecution vertical in some circumstances. Even if prosecutions not yet materialised, the use against HIV-positive pregnant women could compound stigma already faced by them a chilling effect on women's utilisation prevention programmes....