A collaborative evaluation of a needle exchange program for youth

Limited research has been conducted to examine the effectiveness of existin g HIV prevention and harm reduction interventions targeted to injection dru g-using youth Moreover, although there are a growing number of needle excha nge programs being developed for youth throughout the United States, the ef fects of these services have yet to be systematically evaluated. This artic le describes a collaborative evaluation conducted by the Division of Adoles cent Medicine, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and Clean Needles Now, a nee dle exchange serving young injection drug users. The evaluation employed a multimethod research design that included both qualitative and quantitative methods. Findings are presented about how a community-based agency's servi ce delivery philosophy can affect the design and implementation of an evalu ation. Lessons learned from this collaborative evaluation are presented, in cluding the potential benefits of incorporating harm reduction principles i nto research activities.