AIDS and IV Drug Use among Ethnic Minorities

Blacks and Hispanics have a higher prevalence and incidence of cases of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) associated with intravenous (IV) drug use than do whites. Further transmission of the AIDS virus to sexual partners of IV drug users increases the possibility of a secondary epidemic of AIDS, especially among non-white females. This report presents data on differences in IV drug cases of AIDS among white and non-white IV drug users in the United States, offers possible explanations for differences in transmission patterns, and suggests the implications of these differences for the prevention of further transmission of the AIDS virus among minority populations.