subject: Hiv And Drug Abuse [print this page] It has been found that drug users are one of the groups of individuals at risk for contracting HIV. It has been found that, between 2005 and 2009, approximately a quarter of those individuals living with HIV/AIDS reported that their infection originated from intravenous drug use where the drug use was severe enough to require treatment. There are a number of reasons for this evidence, a couple of which are going to be examined in this article.
Intravenous drug use: the social aspect
One of the things that makes drug use in general such a dangerous thing is the fact that people who are going to use drugs will often group together and purchase an amount of the chosen drug to use together. This means, in the case of intravenous drug use, that needles and other apparatus will be shared between the members of the group. This means that if a single person in the group has HIV the entire group is at risk for contracting the virus. The virus is able to be carried across from one person to another in the minute amount of blood that will e left on a needle and, as such, a shared needle is a great danger, especially if the HIV status of the other participants is not known or if there is a known carrier of HIV in the group. This is generally not a thing that habitual drug users consider when they are looking for their next fix however and so this kind of individual is at great risk for getting infected.
Intravenous drug use: the effects of the drugs themselves
Aside from the social aspect of actually injecting the drugs there is the effects of the drugs that are taken intravenously on a persons inhibitions and judgement. Many of the drugs which are taken intravenously will decrease inhibition and render the decision making a lot more difficult. As a result persons who are under the influence of these drugs will be more likely to engage in unprotected sex with multiple partners whose HIV status is unknown. This increases the chances that they will engage in unprotected sex with an individual who already carries the virus and so become infected themselves and thus spread the virus even further. The need for the next fix may also lead the user to sell sexual favours as a means to feed their habit which also increases the risk of contracting the virus.
When one stops to consider the situation for a moment it quickly becomes evident that becoming caught in the world of drug abuse is a huge risk to the health of the individual. Not only do the drugs themselves endanger the health of the user but the use of intravenous drugs in a social environment in which the sharing of needles is likely increases the risks of contracting HIV. If you suspect that a loved one or someone that you know is exposing themselves to this kind of risk you should speak to them about it and advise that they get tested and get help.
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