Emerging linkages between substance abuse and HIV infection in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

In the US Virgin Islands 575 cases of AIDS had been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through mid-2003. Although males continue to be most affected by HIV/AIDS, the feminization of the epidemic is evidenced by recent data showing rates of infection increasing rapidly among women. This paper focuses on the role of substance abuse and the socially and culturally based gender issues that influence risk and vulnerability to HIV in this setting. 254 chronically drug- or alcohol-involved men and women were recruited and interviewed using targeted sampling strategies. Crack use was overwhelmingly reported by females when compared to males (84.7% vs. 48.8%). Women also reported a significantly higher number of sexual partners in the past month (5.6 vs. 2.3) and significantly more occasions of unprotected vaginal sexual contact (11.2 vs. 6.5). Rates of self-reported HIV infection were elevated among women as well (8.8% vs. 1.4%). Women's precarious economic position and lack of access to legitimate income-generating activities tended to drive them into 'survival sex' to support their subsistence and drug needs. As such, it would appear that substance abuse has an emerging role in the spread of the epidemic in St. Croix, particularly among women.