Ferro, San Francisco health care worker infected with HIV from a needlestick, in testimony to Congress on February 2, 1992. Six years later, when Peggy died of AIDS at age 49, she was still working to pass a safer needles law in Congress. Health care workers are dedicated to providing quality patient care, but with safety devices available, they shouldn't have to put their lives on the line every time they use a needle. Take a look at the dangers our health care workers face, and the benefits of safer needle legislation. Needlesticks are a growing threat to health care workers.
Safer needles exist today that can prevent the spread of disease.
Safer needles save lives and money for health care facilities. States are leading the efforts to reduce needlestick injuries and deaths. Needlesticks are a growing threat to health care workers. 600,000 to a million health care workers are accidentally stuck by needles each year. If stuck by contaminated needles, a workers and their families must live through a terrifying six months or longer to find out if they are infected.