Bluetoothing Practice Has Spread Globally
Health officials have raised concerns over a blood-sharing injection practice that elevates HIV and hepatitis transmission risks.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Substance Abuse
The drug-injecting practice known as bluetoothing involves injecting blood from one user into another, a method linked to increased blood-borne pathogen risks. First documented in Tanzania in 2006, the practice has since been identified among intravenous drug users in South Africa, Lesotho, Pakistan, and Fiji.
Why it matters
The practice is largely driven by poverty and the restricted access to sterile needles, which forces users into high-risk sharing behaviors. This trend poses a significant challenge to global public health efforts aimed at curbing the spread of HIV and hepatitis.
A study of 45 opioid injectors in Durban, South Africa, found that 18 percent practiced blood injection and one-third were living with HIV. Meanwhile, Fiji has seen HIV cases surge from under 500 in 2014 to nearly 6,000 by 2024.
The players
World Health Organization
This is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health and coordinating global responses to disease.
United Nations Development Programme
This organization operates globally to help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals through policy advice and technical assistance.
The details
Users often pool resources to purchase drugs, which one individual injects before the others inject that person's blood to achieve a secondary effect. Because of the criminalization of sterile needle sales, many users report a complete lack of access to clean equipment, making the practice a dangerous survival mechanism.
Timeline
The practice was first described in Tanzania in 2006.
Fiji recorded fewer than 500 people living with HIV in 2014.
By 2024, the number of people living with HIV in Fiji rose to nearly 6,000.
The World Health Organization and UNDP released a rapid assessment of Fiji in September 2026.
The Big Picture
This story aligns with the WHO and UNDP rapid assessment protocols, which are used to evaluate emerging public health threats in vulnerable populations. Such assessments track how shifts in policy and poverty contribute to the evolution of disease transmission pathways.
The rise of bluetoothing underscores the critical importance of harm reduction resources like access to sterile syringes to prevent life-altering viral infections. Public health officials emphasize that individuals engaging in intravenous drug use should seek out local health services for safe needle exchange programs.
The takeaway
Harm reduction strategies are essential in preventing the spread of infectious diseases among vulnerable populations with limited access to sterile medical supplies. Awareness of these dangerous injection practices remains a vital component of local and international HIV prevention education.
Further reading
For more information on addiction health trends, visit our Substance Abuse section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Modern Ghana Media Communication Ltd..
