Tecatas: an ethnotheoretical look at Mexican American female injecting drug users

Ethnotheory is suggested as a way to study the roles Mexican American female injecting drug users play. It is suggested that ethnotheory extends present theoretical models used to explain and modify female IDUs' behavior; provide insights on female IDUs' roles useful for the development of effective intervention strategies; and suggests a type of ethnographic data collection that uncovers the subject's view of reality. Three detailed ethnographic excerpts from Mexican American female IDUs illustrate how female IDUs manage the array of roles they play and how information gained through ethnotheory is useful in the design of culturally relevant interventions.