How does heroin affect your body?

Where to start?: Heroin, if pure (as in England) used with sterile precautions, has same side effects as any other opioid - constipation, respiratory depression if excessive, and producing physical dependency - withdrawal if stopped abruptly. However, non-sterile injected heroin can cause abscesses in skin, brain, lung, bone & heart valves, pulmonary edema and kidney failure, hepB/C, AIDS&other infections.