Click Here For Facts About Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention for Women of Color and Youth

Facts About Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention for Women of Color and Youth: "In 1996, an estimated 6,750 African-American women were diagnosed with AIDS. Of these, 53% (3,620) were among women infected heterosexually and 43% (2,910) were attributed to injection drug use (IDU). Over the last decade, AIDS incidence among African-American women increased most dramatically among women infected heterosexually. Prior to the impact of treatment, AIDS incidence in African-American women infected heterosexually was increasing at a rate of between 15%-30%. In 1996, this increase continued, but slowed slightly to an increase of 11%. AIDS incidence among African-American women infected through injection drug use also increased over the decade, but at a rate of approximately 10% to 20% each year. In addition to the direct impact of injection drug use on the spread of AIDS among African-American women, injection drug use also contributes to the heterosexual spread of the epidemic in these women. A large proportion of African-American women infected heterosexually are infected through sex with a male IDU."