Welcome to the site for the computer model of blood borne virus epidemics amongst injecting drug users known as the blood borne virus simulator or ‘BBVsim’ for short.

The model attempts to simulate the impact of the different key variables which are known to affect the rate at which HIV and hepatitis C epidemics spread amongst injecting drug users.

When you click ‘setup’ the model allows you to create a virtual world at a point in time with different levels of injecting drug use, needle and syringe programme coverage, pre-existing levels of HIV and hepatitis C etc., and then when you click ‘run’ the model sets off and illustrates what might happen over time.

Because you are in control of the variables, you are able to run the model to illustrate the effects of decisions by health service commissioners and providers as well as changes in the population of drug users, and the drugs they take.

Important note
BBVsim is not necessarily an accurate predictor of the future: blood borne virus epidemics are complex, affected by many factors and are therefore difficult to fully understand let alone model in a computer programme. However, it does provide an insight into the factors that can slow – or accelerate – the spread of viruses amongst injectors, and aims to be a useful educational tool to help all those interested in drug use, and the response to it, better understand blood borne virus spread, and it’s prevention.

To download the model onto your computer, click here.
To see a set of exercises you can run on the model, click here.
To read the assumptions that underlie the model when it’s running, click here.

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