Gender Differences Among In- and Out-of-Treatment Opioid-Addicted Individuals

Abstract

Objective: Gender differences were explored among 355 in- and out-of-treatment opioid-addicted adults in Baltimore. Methods: Addiction Severity Index and other variables were compared among: 1) in-treatment women vs. out-of-treatment women; 2) out-of-treatment: women vs. men; and, 3) in-treatment: women vs. men. Results: Analysis indicated that in-treatment and out-of-treatment women worked less and used more cocaine than their male counterparts (ps < .01). Moreover, out-of-treatment women used heroin and cocaine more often, spent more money on drugs, earned more illegal income, and had fewer treatments than in-treatment women (ps ≤ .01). Conclusions: Findings indicate greater severity of drug and employment problems of opioid-addicted women and underline the need for gender-specific drug-treatment services.

Keywords:

• Gender
• methadone treatment
• opioid addiction
• women