Drug Use Patterns of Substance Abusing Women: Gender and Ethnic Differences in an AIDS Prevention Program

SUMMARY

The social context of drug use defines women's experiences of addiction and their patterns of use. Gender relations and roles, ethnic identity, poverty, and local circumstances, including drug-related epidemics such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), constitute powerful social forces that create a unique set of risky conditions for women drug users. This paper presents findings from a community-based AIDS prevention research project for 1,022 out-of-treatment drug users recruited through street outreach and targeted sampling. Data from a baseline risk behavior assessment and in-depth interviews on contexts of women's drug use show different patterns of use when comparing women to men, and among women comparing African Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Whites. Related differences in prevalence of HIV, STDs, and other consequences of drug use and addiction also are presented. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the development of drug treatment and harm reduction programs that are appropriate for women of different ethnic backgrounds.