Sterile Syringe Access in Illinois

Sterile Syringes Save Lives
HIV and hepatitis C are both spread by sharing syringes. Individuals who inject drugs can reduce their risk of HIV and hepatitis C by using a sterile syringe for each and every injection. Study after study proves that increasing public access to sterile syringes reduces the spread of these diseases without increasing drug use.

Adults Can Buy Syringes at Pharmacies without a Prescription
Illinois law permits adults 18 years of age and older to purchase up to 20 syringes at their local pharmacy without a prescription. Customers who have experienced difficulty in purchasing syringes without a prescription at their pharmacy are encouraged to contact the AIDS Foundation of Chicago Syringe Access and Disposal Project Coordinator at (312) 922-2322. Many Illinois pharmacies also provide free sharps containers and educational materials about proper disposal and drug treatment to customers buying syringes without a prescription. Find out if your local pharmacy participates in the Sharps Container Program.

Syringe Exchange Program Services
Individuals injecting drugs can also access sterile syringes and other harm reduction services through syringe exchange programs (SEPs), such as those listed below.

Chicago Recovery Alliance
Community Outreach Intervention Projects
Carepoint
Safety Wellness And Prevention Project
Sisters and Brothers Helping Each Other
Test Positive Aware Network
Total Health Awareness Team

Chicago Recovery Alliance (CRA) directly serves, supports, educates, and advocates with others to reduce drug-related harms in the Chicagoland area. CRA provides tools and training free of charge for safer injection, safer sex, and heroin overdose prevention. CRA also offers hepatitis A and B vaccinations and HIV, STI, and HCV testing at no cost. Each of these services are available at CRA's many sites located throughout the city.

For more information about CRA services, call (773) 471-0999 or contact Dan Bigg, CRA Director, at (312) 953-3797.

Community Outreach Intervention Projects (COIP), based at the University of Illinois Chicago's School of Public Health, provides free needle exchange services, condoms, clothing, HIV and STI counseling and testing, HIV prevention case management, harm reduction and drug abuse counseling, and referrals to drug treatment and other social services. In collaboration with UIC's Community Clinic Network, COIP sites also provide free medical, mental health, and dental care for persons living with HIV/AIDS.

Storefront locations and hours for COIP services are as follows. For more information, please contact Jaime Delgado at (312) 355-0227.

COIP Storefront Locations and Hours

COIP Mobile Unit Hours and Locations

Carepoint offers harm reduction services via its office location in Evanston and mobilie outreach program in Chicago, Palatine, and Rolling Meadows. Carepoint provides HIV and STI testing and counseling, safer sex supplies, referrals to addictions counseling and treatment, and needle exchange. For more information, call (847)425-3606.

Carepoint Locations and Hours

Sisters and Brothers Helping Each Other's (SBHEO) sites offer safer sex and injection supplies, HIV prevention case management, support groups, anonymous and confidential HIV and hepatitis C testing, hepatitis A, B, and C education, harm reduction counseling, and referrals for substance abuse treatment, housing, mental health services, and other supportive services. Contact Alice Tkachik for more information at (815) 735-3927.

SBHEO Locations and Hours

Mobile NEP services are available along the I-57 Corridor from South Suburban Cook County to Danville, Illinois.

Safety Wellness And Prevention Project (SWAP) provides safer sex and injection supplies, risk and harm reduction counseling, HIV and hepatitis C testing, and hepatitis A and B vaccinations to Champaign-Urbana, Danville, and the surrounding areas. SWAP also conducts overdose reversal trainings for program participants. To learn more about SWAP's services or to arrange for mobile services, please contact Joe Trotter at (217) 841-1408 or (888) 801-3172.

Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) offers harm reduction counseling and services, peer support, and safer sex and injection supplies on Chicago's north side. Clients can also access the full range of TPAN’s services and an interagency referral network to detox and rehab programs, physical and mental health care, and legal services. Rapid HIV testing and counseling is also available at TPAN by appointment. For more information about TPAN's syringe exchange program, contact Derek at (773) 989-9400

TPAN Location and Hours

Total Health Awareness Team (THAT) provides HIV, STI, and hepatitis prevention services in communities throughout Northern Illinois and the Rock River Valley. Comprehensive harm reduction counseling, overdose prevention training, provision of safer injecting and sex supplies, HIV testing, group support programs, and referrals to related social services are all offered by THAT. For more information on THAT's services, please call (815) 961-1269 or e-mail tobepartofthat@aol.com.

THAT Locations and Hours

Safe Syringe Disposal:
Sharps Container Program

Overdose Prevention:
Naloxone Training Video

Harm Reduction Organizations:
Harm Reduction Coalition

North American Syringe Exchange Network

International Harm Reduction Association

Syringe Access Advocacy
Background on IL Law