Ethnic and cultural differences in drug-using women who are in and out of treatment

In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on race, ethnicity and culture as they relate to recruitment into and retention in substance abuse treatment as well as treatment effectiveness. Racial/ethnic and cultural differences were studied among women participating in two programs located within a large southwestern city. One of these programs was residential treatment for drug-using women and the other program provided street outreach for HIV prevention/education to drug-using women. Significant differences were found among racial/ethnic groups within each program and between the two programs. Differences were explored for the following factors: marital status; education; age at entry into the program; drug use history; drug treatment history; current use patterns; injection rates; history of arrests and exchange of sex for drugs. The authors conclude with a discussion of these differences and their potential ramifications for conducting future research and in developing/implementing effective prevention and treatment programs.