Drug abuse and addiction have been inextricably linked with HIV/AIDS
since the beginning of the epidemic. Although injection drug use is well
known in this regard, the role that non-injection drug abuse plays more
generally in the spread of HIV is less recognized. This is partly due to the
addictive and intoxicating effects of many drugs, which can alter judgment
and inhibition and lead people to engage in impulsive and unsafe
behaviors.
Injection drug use. People typically associate drug abuse and HIV/AIDS
with injection drug use and needle sharing. HIV can be transmitted
between users when injection drug users share "equipment"-such as
needles, syringes, and other drug injection paraphernalia. Other
infections-such as hepatitis C-can also be spread this way. Hepatitis C can
cause liver disease and permanent liver damage.
Poor judgment and risky behavior. Drug abuse by any route (not just
injection) can put a person at risk for getting HIV. Drug and alcohol
intoxication affect judgment and can lead to unsafe sexual practices,
which put people at risk for getting HIV or transmitting it to someone else.
Biological effects of drugs. Drug abuse and addiction can affect a person's
overall health, thereby altering susceptibility to HIV and progression of
AIDS. Drugs of abuse and HIV both affect the brain. Research has shown
that HIV causes greater neuronal injury and cognitive impairment among
Methamphetamine abusers than among HIV patients who do not abuse
drugs. In animal studies, Methamphetamine has been shown to increase
the amount of HIV in brain cells.
Drug abuse treatment. Since the late 1980s, research has shown that
treating drug abuse is an effective way to prevent the spread of HIV. Drug
abusers in treatment stop or reduce their drug use and related risk
behaviors, including drug injection and unsafe sexual practices. Drug
treatment programs also serve an important role in disseminating current
information on HIV/AIDS and related diseases, providing counseling and
testing services, and offering referrals for medical and social services.
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