Publications by authors named "Skylar Gross"
Article Synopsis
- The text emphasizes the importance of harm reduction programs, specifically syringe service programs (SSPs), in rural areas like Appalachian Kentucky amidst rising drug-related issues.
- The study involved interviews with staff from local SSPs to understand their establishment, operations, and sustainability, revealing initial opposition from community members and health officials due to stigma and misconceptions.
- Over time, positive interactions and visible health impacts transformed some staff into advocates for SSPs, leading to a stronger framework for their sustainability and the potential for expanding such programs in similar underserved regions.
Background: Enrolling sufficient number of people who inject drugs (PWID) into syringe services programs (SSP) is important to curtail outbreaks of drug-related harms. Still, little is known about barriers and facilitators to SSP enrollment in rural areas with no history of such programs. This study's purpose was to develop a grounded theory of the role of the risk environment and individual characteristics of PWID in shaping SSP enrollment in rural Kentucky.
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