Glasgow drug users warned of HIV cluster
A warning has been issued to injecting drug users in the west of Scotland following a cluster of new cases of HIV infection.
Six drug users in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area have been diagnosed as having been exposed to the virus since the start of 2012.
Doctors would expect to see about 10 cases in the area in the course of an entire year.
Drug users have been advised to seek sterile needles and syringes.
Public health consultant Eleanor Anderson said: "It is important for injecting drug users to engage with the wide range of services we offer designed to help them tackle their addictions.
"However, for those who continue to inject we remind them to take all the safety precautions necessary to protect themselves and others."
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's Public Health Protection Unit said sterile needles and other injecting equipment were available at pharmacies and clinics offering drug services.