The treatment of abscesses resulting from injecting drug use is an extremely important vehicle in both HIV prevention and care for Delhi's injecting drug users:

• Providing first aid is a useful way of contacting out-of-treatment injecting drug users. It makes accessible a service which they need, with the benefits being immediately visible.
• Abscess treatment destigmatises drug use in a health care setting as it indicates a willingness to care regardless of ongoing drug using behaviour or HIV status. Through abscess treatment, people have been drawn into ongoing contact with health care services, harm reduction services, and information and education about HIV and other risks of injecting drug use.
• The healing of abscesses has saved many people's lives and prevented the amputation of their limbs.