The public health nurse is working with a homeless client.
Which of the following statements made by the homeless client indicates an understanding of tertiary prevention?

Choice A rationale

Methamphetamine use is associated with risky behaviors like needle-sharing, which increases transmission of infectious diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV. Such behaviors exacerbate public health challenges.

Choice B rationale

Methamphetamine use exacerbates mental health issues such as paranoia and depression, rather than improving mental health. Its stimulant effect often leads to neurological and psychological harm.

Choice C rationale

Methamphetamine use is linked to aggressive behaviors, heightened irritability, and impulsiveness, increasing risk of violence instead of decreasing it. These effects pose significant public safety concerns.

Choice D rationale

Methamphetamine use often leads to social isolation due to erratic behavior, distrust, and stigma. It impairs relationships instead of improving social interactions.

Choice A rationale

Avoiding legal complications aligns with primary prevention, but the nurse’s focus is reducing health risks associated with drug use, especially blood-borne diseases from shared needles.

Choice B rationale

Tertiary prevention minimizes harm like disease transmission. Providing sterilization education addresses risks from ongoing drug use, emphasizing reduction of complications rather than complete cessation.

Choice C rationale

Secondary prevention detects or prevents complications early. While sterilizing needles helps, the focus here is ongoing harm reduction rather than immediate risk identification or complication prevention.

Choice D rationale

Educating about safe injections promotes harm reduction but does not focus on primary prevention. Tertiary prevention is the appropriate classification for reducing ongoing drug use risks. .