Heather Black (campaigner)

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Heather Black (1951 - 14 May 2020) lived in Muirhouse, Edinburgh, and is known for setting up what was then described as a groundbreaking community group SHADA (Support Help and Advice on Drug Addiction), now known as the North Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Centre, in 1984. [1] She introduced a needle exchange at a time when needle sharing was driving the escalation of HIV/AIDs cases in Edinburgh. [2]

Contents

Campaigning

Black worked with Muirhouse GP Dr Roy Robertson, who was one of the first to make the link between the ban on needles and the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus. At that time Edinburgh officials were confiscating drug paraphernalia, which meant people were sharing infected needles, leading to increased cases of HIV/AIDs. [3]

Black was vocal in treating drug use as a multifactorial issue, connected to poverty and inequality.

At an open discussion at Robertson's medical practice in 1987, Black took on a homophobic councilman proposing exiling gay people and preventing immigration to stop the spread of the virus. [4] Furious at the politician's ignorance, Black confirmed her views that there multiple issues at play, including poverty, joblessness and a six-year wait for public housing. 'There's loads of other problems intertwined,' she said, describing gray-haired residents who have never had work and have been on the dole all their lives. 'Youth unemployment here is running over 45 percent. The central Government has never done anything about the heroin, why should we expect something from them over AIDs?' [4]

Death and legacy

Black passed away from oesophageal cancer on May 14, 2020. As a result of her experiences, her family joined forces with Dignity in Dying. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in the United States</span> Epidemic in the United States

The AIDS epidemic, caused by HIV, found its way to the United States between the 1970s and 1980s, but was first noticed after doctors discovered clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia in homosexual men in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco in 1981. Treatment of HIV/AIDS is primarily via the use of multiple antiretroviral drugs, and education programs to help people avoid infection.

Needle and syringe programmes Method of providing drug users with uninfected equipment

A needle and syringe programme (NSP), also known as needle exchange program (NEP), is a social service that allows injecting drug users (IDUs) to obtain clean and unused hypodermic needles and associated paraphernalia at little or no cost. It is based on the philosophy of harm reduction that attempts to reduce the risk factors for blood-borne diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Needle sharing is the practice of intravenous drug-users by which a needle or syringe is shared by multiple individuals to administer intravenous drugs such as heroin, steroids, and hormones. This is a primary vector for blood-borne diseases which can be transmitted through blood. People who inject drugs (PWID) are at an increased risk for Hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV due to needle sharing practices. From 1933 to 1943, malaria was spread between users in the New York City area by this method. Afterwards, the use of quinine as a cutting agent in drug mixes became more common. Harm reduction efforts including safe disposal of needles, supervised injection sites, and public education may help bring awareness on safer needle sharing practices.

This is a timeline of AIDS, including AIDS cases before 1980.

History of HIV/AIDS Epidemiological history

AIDS is caused by a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which originated in non-human primates in Central and West Africa. While various sub-groups of the virus acquired human infectivity at different times, the present pandemic had its origins in the emergence of one specific strain – HIV-1 subgroup M – in Léopoldville in the Belgian Congo in the 1920s.

AIDS service organizations are community-based organizations that provide support for people affected by HIV/AIDS. This article focuses on HIV/AIDS service organizations in the United States only.

Muirhouse is a housing estate in the north of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.

Drug injection Method of introducing a drug

Drug injection is a method of introducing a drug into the bloodstream via a hollow hypodermic needle, which is pierced through the skin into the body. Intravenous therapy, a form of drug injection, is universally practiced in modernized medical care. As of 2004, there were 13.2 million people worldwide who self-administered injection drugs outside of medical supervision, of which 22% are from developed countries.

HIV/AIDS was first diagnosed in 1981. As of year-end 2018, 160,493 people have been diagnosed with HIV in the United Kingdom and an estimated 7,500 people are living undiagnosed with HIV. New diagnoses are highest in gay/bisexual men, with an estimated 51% of new diagnosis reporting male same-sex sexual activity as the probable route of infection. Between 2009 and 2018 there was a 32% reduction in new HIV diagnosis, attributed by Public Health England (PHE) to better surveillance and education. PHE has described an "outbreak" in Glasgow amongst people who inject drugs, and has campaigns targeting men who have sex with men in London and other major cities. London was the first city in the world to reach the World Health Organization target for HIV, set at 90% of those with HIV diagnosed, 90% of those diagnosed on HAART and 90% of those on HAART undetectable. The UK as a whole later achieved the same target. Under the Equality Act 2010, it is illegal to discriminate against someone based on their HIV status in the UK.

HIV/AIDS in Yunnan

The People's Republic of China's first reported AIDS case was identified in 1985 in a dying tourist. In 1989, the first indigenous cases were reported as an outbreak in 146 infected heroin users in Yunnan province, near China's southwest border.

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One of the obstacles to treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is its high genetic variability. HIV can be divided into two major types, HIV type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV type 2 (HIV-2). HIV-1 is related to viruses found in chimpanzees and gorillas living in western Africa, while HIV-2 viruses are related to viruses found in the sooty mangabey, a vulnerable West African primate. HIV-1 viruses may be further divided into groups. The HIV-1 group M viruses predominate and are responsible for the AIDS pandemic. Group M can be further subdivided into subtypes based on genetic sequence data. Some of the subtypes are known to be more virulent or are resistant to different medications. Likewise, HIV-2 viruses are thought to be less virulent and transmissible than HIV-1 M group viruses, although HIV-2 is also known to cause AIDS.

HIV/AIDS infection in the Philippines might be low but growing fast. The Philippines has one of the lowest rates of infection, yet has one of the fastest growing number of cases worldwide. The Philippines is one of seven countries with growth in number of cases of over 25%, from 2001 to 2009.

HIV/AIDS in Haiti

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Discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS or serophobia is the prejudice, fear, rejection, and stigmatization of people with HIV/AIDS. Marginalized, at-risk groups such as members of the LGBTQ+ community, intravenous drug users, and sex workers are most vulnerable to facing HIV/AIDS discrimination. The consequences of societal stigma against PLHIV are quite severe, as HIV/AIDS discrimination actively hinders access to HIV/AIDS screening and care around the world. Moreover, these negative stigmas become used against members of the LGBTQ+ community in the form of stereotypes held by physicians.

HIV prevention refers to practices that aim to prevent the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV prevention practices may be undertaken by individuals to protect their own health and the health of those in their community, or may be instituted by governments and community-based organizations as public health policies.

Responsible drug use maximizes the benefits and reduces the risk of negative impact psychoactive drugs cause on the lives of the user. For illegal psychoactive drugs that are not diverted prescription controlled substances, some critics believe that illegal recreational use is inherently irresponsible, due to the unpredictable and unmonitored strength and purity of the drugs and the risks of addiction, infection, and other side effects.

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References

  1. Ward, Sarah; Delaney, James (2020-05-27). "Tributes paid to Edinburgh 'Trainspotting nurse' who founded addiction charity". edinburghlive. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  2. 1 2 "Insight: Daughters demand right to die in the name of their campaigning mother". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  3. "Tributes paid to Aids and drug abuse campaigner Heather Black". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  4. 1 2 Clines, Francis X.; Times, Special To the New York (1987-01-04). "VIA ADDICT NEEDLES, AIDS SPREADS IN EDINBURGH". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-05-09.