Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS

AIDS is now the fourth leading cause of death among women of childbearing age in the United States. It is the leading cause of death for African-American women between the ages of 25 and 44. Because HIV/AIDS often is transmitted through shared needles or syringes, women who inject drugs or share drug paraphernalia are at an increased risk of getting the deadly disease. In addition, under the influence of illicit drugs and alcohol, a woman’s judgement can become impaired. As a result, women may engage in unprotected sex, which also increases their risk for contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS. Among the 1.5 million injecting drug users, 14% are known to be infected with HIV.