Portland Public Health is expanding targeted outreach efforts after state health officials reported a sharp increase in new HIV diagnoses among people who inject drugs in Cumberland County, a development that is renewing scrutiny of the city’s harm-reduction and needle exchange policies.
The renewed effort follows a Public Health Advisory issued by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which found that Cumberland County recorded five new HIV diagnoses among people who inject drugs as of November 17, 2025. From 2020 through 2024, the county averaged just one such case per year.
In response, Portland Public Health said it is intensifying outreach to high-risk populations and coordinating with community partners and health care providers to expand access to testing, prevention, and treatment services for HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis.
State health officials recommend HIV testing at least every three months for individuals with elevated risk factors, including people who inject drugs. Public health guidance also highlights prevention strategies such as pre-exposure prophylaxis for those who test negative but face ongoing exposure risk, and post-exposure prophylaxis for individuals who may have been exposed to HIV within the previous 72 hours.
Central to the city’s response is Portland’s Syringe Services Program, which provides sterile syringes, patient navigation, syringe litter collection, and other support services at its Forest Avenue location. City officials strongly encourage people who inject drugs to use the program and to avoid sharing or reusing needles or other injection equipment.
The reported rise in HIV cases, however, is prompting renewed public debate over whether Portland’s extensive needle exchange and harm-reduction efforts are effectively containing disease transmission or whether gaps in outreach, follow-up care, or program utilization may be contributing to continued risk among people who inject drugs.
“HIV testing and prevention remain among the most effective tools we have to protect the health of our community,” said Portland Public Health Director Bridget Rauscher. “Early diagnosis saves lives, prevents transmission, and ensures people can access the support and treatment they need and the care they deserve.”
Portland Public Health said ongoing services and outreach will focus on access to rapid HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis testing; availability of pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis medications by appointment; and walk-in access to harm-reduction supplies during scheduled hours.
City health officials said Portland Public Health and its partners remain available to assist residents with testing, prevention services, and linkage to care, as questions continue to mount about how best to address rising infections amid the city’s broader drug and public health challenges.
