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Women, Harm Reduction, and HIV

Key Findings from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine

Date:
October 2009
Source:
OSI
Author:
Katya Burns

Women who use drugs are more vulnerable to HIV infection than male drug users. They share injection equipment and are often "second on the needle." Engagement in sex work and low levels of condom use add to their risk of infection. At the same time, women face greater obstacles to accessing the services they need to protect their health. This report examines women's access to harm reduction, reproductive health, and HIV and AIDS services in five countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine.

Included in this report are the following topics:

  • Barriers to appropriate HIV testing and treatment
  • Pregnancy and obstacles to parenting
  • Domestic violence, police abuse, and lack of legal recourse
  • Health insurance and medical costs
  • Sexual risk and poor access to sexual health services
  • Gender-specific risks and barriers to harm reduction services

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Women, Harm Reduction, and HIV (English)
PDF Document - 326K
Download the report in English.

Women, Harm Reduction, and HIV (Russian)
PDF Document - 1769K
Download the report in Russian.

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Related Information

Newsflash Azerbaijan: Group Addresses UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
August 12, 2009
Representing more than 20 harm reduction organizations in Azerbaijan, the Alliance for a Healthy Lifestyle submitted a report to the UN documenting human rights violations of sex workers and women who use drugs.

University of Bucharest Summer School: Risk Groups and Social Support Services
Bucharest, Romania
July 21, 2009
With support from the Roma Health Project, the University of Bucharest launched its first summer school on the provision of medical and social services to vulnerable groups, including Roma, sex workers, and people who use drugs.

Life Beyond the Norm: Voices of Women Injection Drug Users
April 2008
This book, funded by OSI, tells the firsthand stories of women drug users in Thailand. It includes sections on society’s perceptions, violence, motherhood, stigma, sexual risk, and HIV.

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