Pregnant HIV-infected IDUs transmit the virus to their babies, and sometimes – shockingly often in Russia – abandon their newborns, relinquishing them to the state. The people infected by IDUs also can infect others sexually, further fortifying the bridge into the “general” population.
在减轻危害方面实施鸵鸟政策不仅会伤害注射吸毒者，正常人也有可能在与感染者的性行为中遭殃。那些怀孕的艾滋病患者将病毒传染给了自己的胎儿，有时甚至（尤其是在俄罗斯）直接将这些新生儿遗弃在路边，把包袱甩给国家。那些从注射吸毒者身上感染了艾滋病毒的人同样会与其他人发生性关系，进一步将病毒向“主流”人群散播。