Butler - Caracole

You’re worth protecting.

Reduce the health risks, like HIV, associated with drug use.

Sharing needles and works can spread infections like HIV and hepatitis C.

HIV transmission is approaching crisis levels in many communities, including Butler County. There has been a 300% increase in the county since 2020—most of these new HIV infections are among people who inject drugs.

To help you stay safe, we’ve partnered with agencies, like Regional Harm Reduction Collaborative, around Butler County. We offer FREE confidential HIV and hepatitis C testing plus harm reduction supplies to help you remain safe and healthy while using drugs and having sex. Test results come back quickly, with a simple finger prick.

Services Provided

We believe you deserve to be healthy no matter whether you don’t use drugs at all, use them only occasionally or use them frequently.

Our FREE services include:

Injectable naloxone
Nasal naloxone
Safer injection equipment, including cookers, cottons, alcohol pads, tourniquets, 1 oz. bottles of bleach, safer sex materials
Fentanyl test strips
Overdose prevention education
Tests for HIV and hepatitis C
Referrals to social services and treatment

Locations Near You

Our mobile testing van provides easy community access to FREE confidential or anonymous HIV or hepatitis C testing. Find the van at these locations:

Potential Risk of Using Drugs

Diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis, can be spread by sharing syringes. Hepatitis can also be spread by sharing equipment such as cookers and cottons (for injecting), and pipes or stems (smoking).

Whether you smoke, inject, or orally ingest your drugs, you ARE at risk of fatal overdose. Fentanyl, a powerful substance linked to the majority of overdose, has contaminated the drug supply and is commonly found in rock and powder cocaine, pressed pills, designer drugs, and methamphetamine.

Use of new/sterile supplies greatly reduces risk of bodily infections including abscesses and endocarditis, and illnesses such as cotton fever.

Ways to Stay Safe

There are many things that we can do to take care of ourselves and reduce the risks associated with using drugs.

Avoid Overdose

Don't use alone if you can. If you are using alone, try a test shot or call someone—like Never Use Alone or the BRAVE app to connect, by voice, to a person who will stay on the call with you until you’re safe.
Test your drugs for fentanyl. Learn how to use a fentanyl test strip
Remember the 4 S’s: SNORT, SMOKE or SLOWLY inject to SAMPLE a new batch.
Carry naloxone and know how to use naloxone

Avoid Infections

Know where to inject—check out our Safer Injection quick guide.
Use new needles or clean them. Remember that insulin syringes develop a burr after a single use. New needles pierce, while old needles tear, which increases the risk of infection.
Use sterile water if possible to mix your drugs.

Avoid HIV and Hepatitis C

Have your own rigs and gear.
Use a clean needle for splitting drugs.
Use condoms and practice safe sex.

Reach Out to Learn More

Call/text 513.399.6969 or email [email protected]

Call/text 513.478.6620 or email or use our texting service: BE SAFE at 833.658.1241

This work is funded either in whole or in part by a grant awarded by the Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Infectious Diseases, HIV/STI Prevention and as a sub-award of a grant issued by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the PS18-1802 grant award number 1NU62PS924541-01-00, and CFDA number 93.940].