"Controversy Erupts as West Virginia Clinics Adapt Post-Roe, Debating Syringe Services in Opioid Crisis"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Associated Press
The Women's Health Center of West Virginia, the state's only abortion provider, is now seeking to open a syringe service program for drug users, as abortion providers across the country pivot or expand services post-Roe. The proposal faces opposition from those who believe it will enable addiction, while supporters argue that harm reduction services are crucial in mitigating the health impacts of intravenous drug use. West Virginia has the highest rate of opioid overdoses in the US, and the syringe service program aims to curb the spread of infection and offer referrals to counseling and substance use disorder treatment. Critics argue that such programs don't do enough to prevent drug use, despite CDC research showing that people with syringe service are more likely to recover. The Women's Health Center is already providing other reproductive care and harm reduction services, such as wound care and substance use disorder treatment referrals.