HIV testing bolstered, syringe exchange encouraged as Butler County sees cluster of cases

A jump in HIV cases in Hamilton during the first two months of the year has prompted an immediate and firm response from Butler County public health officials, who hope to prevent the spread of infection and offer resources for those at high risk – primarily people who inject drugs.

The Butler County General Health District is getting help from Caracole, the Cincinnati area's nonprofit HIV and AIDS service organization, with free HIV testing in Hamilton and calling attention to sterile syringe services available in the county. The strategy, called harm reduction, has bloomed in Southwest Ohio as the opioid epidemic has evolved.

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The number of new HIV cases is small: Seven were diagnosed in January and February compared with just three new cases in January and February 2021. Even so, the 133% increase requires a comprehensive public health response to prevent HIV spread and see whether others have acquired the infection, health officials say.

“We have year-over-year numbers that are a cause for concern,” said Butler County Health Commissioner Erik Balster. "Certainly, we need to direct services and attention to this.”

He pointed to the pandemic as a possible contributor to an exacerbated opioid epidemic in the past two years. "It is the problem that never really went away," Balster said. "The pandemic was isolating. There is a multitude of substance use issues that are adding up."

The new HIV cases are considered a cluster, rather than an outbreak, because they have affected people in a specific area. Also important: The individuals affected know each other socially, said Tyrina Taylor, drug overdose prevention coordinator for the county's health district.

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Sterile syringe access, through needle exchange, is being encouraged because people who inject drugs often share syringes, and HIV is a bloodborne disease which can be transmitted through a needle stick.

The opioid epidemic has spurred HIV spikes in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky in recent years. As recently as 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that Northern Kentucky boost access to sterile syringe programs, to reduce HIV spread.

Butler County is the only county experiencing an HIV spike in Southwest Ohio so far this year. Hamilton County holds a regional Ohio Health Department grant for prevention efforts and is helping Butler County with prevention services. The two are also in contact with Ohio Health Department officials. The CDC has not been called in to help.

If you live in Butler County, you might see fliers about syringe service programs posted in small businesses and government buildings. The fliers are also being handed to people in an outreach effort, Taylor said. The Regional Harm Reduction Coalition operates the programs for residents in Butler, Warren, Clermont, Clinton and Brown counties. All of the sites provide multiple services and can point people to treatment.

Caracole provides free, anonymous or confidential testing in Butler County in Hamilton and at the Middletown and Fairfield syringe exchange sites, as well at its main office in Northside. For hours, location and other details, go to Caracole.org/testing. Tricia Bath, a spokeswoman for Caracole, said the response to testing has been good. 

For more on the Regional Harm Reduction Coalition and its services, go to OhioRHRC.com.