Background : Injecting drug users have frequently a prison experience where they might carry on with their consumption. As an answer to this situation, prison-based syringe exchange programs (SEP) were implemented in Switzerland in the 90’ as a harm reduction strategy against the situation of high prevalence of HIV and hepatitis. Twenty-five years later, we look back at the situation both regarding syringe distribution and the different existing models (characteristics of the program, actors involved).
Methods : Semi-structured interviews were conducted with health respondents in the 8 prisons with a SEP. The interviews were taped and synthesised, before proceeding to a transversal qualitative analysis.