Safety Counts

The Safety Counts program is designed to reduce behaviors which place drug users at a high risk of becoming infected with HIV. The program uses highly specialized trainers to deliver group and individual counseling session. The sessions help the participants identify their high-risk behaviors, understand how to reduce their risks and assists participants to set personal goals. Moreover, the trainers refer participants to necessary medical services.

Program participants are recruited through either HIV testing centers and programs or through Peer Driven Recruitment. In the Peer Driven Recruitment model, a social network of peers spreads information about the program by word-of-mouth. This model has been proven to be effective in recruiting to hard-to-reach populations and people at particularly high-risk for HIV.

The goal of the Safety Counts is to reduce behaviors which place drug users at a high risk of HIV infection.

Compared to the control group, participants in the Safety Counts program were 1.5 times more likely to reduce drug and sex-related risks of HIV infection, and were 2.5 times more likely to report an increase in condom use.