Women and IV Drugs: Parenteral and Heterosexual Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract

Most women diagnosed with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the United States are either intravenous drug users (IVDUs) or sex partners of male IVDUs. Research that looks at “IVDUs with AIDS” as one category, and “women with AIDS” as another, may fail to provide adequate information about this specific subgroup. The authors summarize the results of several studies of the prevalence of HIV infection among IVDUs, and discuss the difficulty of estimating the number of women IVDUs, or partners of male IVDUs, infected with HIV. They consider differences between female and male IVDUs, and between women IVDUs and non-IVDUs, including economic status, pregnancy, and child-rearing responsibilities. They conclude with a series of policy recommendations concerning AIDS prevention and service programs targeting this specific population.