Tapestry Health's Holyoke Needle Exchange

15A Main Street Holyoke MA 01040
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
(413) 315-3732
All Services are Free and Anonymous/Confidential

Tapestry Health established the Northampton Needle Exchange in 1995 and the Holyoke Needle Exchange in 2012, the only of their kind in western Massachusetts and among five statewide. The Tapestry Health Needle Exchange Program provides direct services to injection drug users (IDUs) with the inclusion of needle exchange. The Needle Exchange also serves as a disposal site where community members can bring used injection equipment for safe disposal.

Holyoke currently has the 3rd highest rates of people living with HIV/AIDS in the state. In Holyoke, MA, injection drug use accounts for 30% of new HIV infections, compared to 13% of new HIV infections in all of Western MA. Among people currently living with HIV/AIDS these rates increase to 30% in Western MA and 39% in Holyoke. Rates of HIV/AIDS disproportionately impact the Latino and non-Hispanic Black populations within Massachusetts, which represent 8% and 6% of the total state population. 78% of the HIV infections in Holyoke are among Latinos and 22% are among Non-Hispanic Whites (MDPH, 2011).

Often times Needle Exchange Programs are injection drug users only contact with healthcare or counseling, and they give those who are below poverty level or low-income increased access to resources and services they might not otherwise get.

Needle exchange programs have been directly linked to increased safer injection and disposal, as well as reduced blood-borne infectious diseases, shared syringes, shared drug preparation equipment, and availability of used syringes. Research has shown that Needle Exchange clients are five times more likely to enter drug treatment than those who had never used a Needle Exchange program.