No significant health effects have been seen in people who are HIV-negative and have taken PrEP for up to 5 years. There are important distinctions between substance use, misuse, and addiction. If you’re looking to maintain substance use without progressing into misuse or further, harm reduction has the potential to keep you safe without shame. If you use drugs, or know people who do, it’s important to be prepared in the event of an overdose. SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) aims to develop comprehensive systems through providing national leadership in the development of policies, programs, and services to prevent the onset of substance misuse.
- Like many other medical conditions, evidence-based treatments are available for OUD, but seeking treatment remains stigmatized.
- Others who experience anxiety, stress, depression, or pain may use drugs to try to feel better.
- Risk of drug use increases greatly during times of transition.
- Here are some guides we’ve put together to help you make safe choices.
- Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care or legal consultation.
Reflecting on NIDA’s 50th year and looking to 2025
The emergency and referral resources listed above are available to individuals located in the United States and are not operated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). NIDA is a biomedical research organization and does not provide personalized medical advice, treatment, counseling, or legal consultation. Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care or legal consultation. If you take daily oral PrEP, you’ll need to see a health care provider every 3 months for repeat HIV tests, prescription refills, and follow-up.
We offer basic information about drug use and safer-use tips for people who use drugs and providers to get on the same page. Overdose prevention is a CDC priority that impacts families and communities. Drug overdose is a leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
NIDA is a biomedical research organization and does not provide personalized medical advice, treatment, counselling, or referral services. PrEP remains one of the strongest tools in the HIV prevention toolbox. There are a wide variety of efforts focused on supporting PrEP and other options where you can obtain PrEP medication and/or sober house services. Drug use is not inherently an issue, but misuse and addiction are conditions that are cause for concern.
Others who experience anxiety, stress, depression, or pain may use drugs to try to feel better. Some people use drugs to try to improve their focus in school or at work or their abilities in sports. Many people—especially young people—use drugs out of curiosity and because of social pressure. The age at which people start using drugs—and whether or not they continue—depends on many different individual and societal factors across a person’s life. Read more about risk and protective factors that impact whether people use drugs or develop substance use disorders.
Because https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ PrEP is for people who are HIV-negative, you’ll have to get an HIV test before starting PrEP and you may need to get other tests to make sure it’s safe for you to use PrEP. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. PrEP can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. Outside of physical pain management or treatment for disorders, substance use for pleasurable purposes is common and isn’t inherently harmful. The use of varied substances is changing and becoming more commonplace.
National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse: Open Session – February 2025
Safer drug use is about lessening the risk of adverse outcomes from using drugs. There are many reasons someone may be using drugs – and there are other factors besides just drug use itself that can put people in harm’s way. This is why we provide resources to contextualize drug use, why people use drugs, and ways to make it safer depending on your situation. Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), sometimes referred to as “opioid dependence” or “opioid addiction,” is a problematic pattern of opioid use that causes significant impairment or distress.
Because drug use is so common and has the potential to be harmful, we’ll cover how to potentially curb a shift from substance use to misuse. Use the HIV Services Locator to find a PrEP provider and other HIV services near you. In most cases, the cost of PrEP medication and services are covered by insurance. PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV when taken as indicated. Currently, there are two FDA-approved daily oral medications for PrEP. A long-acting injectable form of PrEP has also been approved by the FDA.
Risk factors
That means you can’t be charged for your PrEP medication, the clinic visits to see your health care provider, and lab tests you need to get and maintain your prescription. Some people taking PrEP may have side effects, like nausea, diarrhea, headache, fatigue, and stomach pain. These side effects are usually not serious and go away over time. If you are taking PrEP, tell your health care provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. Sometimes folks use when they don’t know how else to cope, or the chosen coping method might “feel better” in the short term than holistic treatments. The risk for harm is elevated if you use a controlled substance (think opioids or benzodiazepines) for pleasure, or to self-medicate a mental health symptom, with another substance like alcohol.
What CDC is doing
Substance use and mental disorders can make daily activities difficult and impair a person’s ability to work, interact with family, and fulfill other major life functions. Mental and substance use disorders are among the top conditions that cause disability in the United States. Preventing mental or substance use disorders or co-occurring disorders and related problems is critical to behavioral and physical health. Prevention activities work to educate and support individuals and communities to prevent the use and misuse of drugs and the development of substance use disorders. Ways to prevent opioid overdose are to improve opioid prescribing, reduce exposure to opioids, prevent illegal opioid use and prescription opioid misuse, and treat opioid use disorder.
Commercial interests contribute to drug use and addiction
The meditation allows you to observe any pain you might be experiencing — physically or mentally — as well as your thoughts. If your thoughts when you awake go straight to your substance, you may want to reach out to a professional. One 2017 research paper defined substances as any sort of compound that affects the mind (psychoactive) and can potentially cause problems for your health or social relationships. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 53.2 million folks 12 or older in the United States used substances not as prescribed or not prescribed to them.
CDC MMWR Highlights Progress Toward UNAIDS Global HIV PrEP Targets
- No single factor determines whether a person will develop a substance use disorder.
- So, preventing early use of drugs or alcohol may go a long way in reducing these risks.
- PrEP can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body.
- PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use.
- Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
- Department of Health and Human Services reported that 53.2 million folks 12 or older in the United States used substances not as prescribed or not prescribed to them.
Dissemination can be strengthened by partnerships and can be tailored and scaled up to meet local circumstances. These evidence-based harm reduction strategies are proven to reduce the risk of overdose and infections related to drug use. Under the Affordable Care Act, PrEP is free under almost all health insurance plans. PrEP is a preventive service and should be covered without charging you a co-payment or co-insurance.
Tips to avoid misuse
OUD is a medical condition that can affect anyone – regardless of race, gender, income level, or social class. Like many other medical conditions, evidence-based treatments are available for OUD, but seeking treatment remains stigmatized. Stigma can be a major barrier to how well prevention and treatment programs work amid the opioid crisis. When we act early, we can prevent illegal substance use, including illegal opioids, and misuse of prescription medications, like opioids, that can lead to substance use disorders. Risk of drug use increases greatly during times of transition. For an adult, a divorce or loss of a job may increase the risk of drug use.