Drug Abuse and the link to HIV/AIDS and Other Infectious Diseases
Article Provided by National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)
HIV/AIDS
Behavior associated with drug abuse, such as sharing needle injection equipment and/or risky sexual behavior after drug or alcohol intoxication whether or not injection equipment is used, has been central to the spread of HIV/AIDS since the pandemic began more than 25 years ago.
HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), is a virus that lives and multiplies primarily in white blood cells (CD4+ lymphocytes), which are part of the immune system. HIV ultimately causes severe depletion of these cells. An HIV-infected person may look and feel fine for many years and may therefore be unaware of the infection. However, as the immune system weakens, the individual becomes more vulnerable to illnesses and common infections.
Over time, a person with untreated HIV is likely to succumb to multiple, concurrent illnesses and to develop AIDS. Because HIV/AIDS is a condition characterized by a defect in the body's natural immunity to diseases, infected individuals are at risk for severe illnesses that are not usually a threat to anyone whose immune system is working properly.
As yet, there is no cure for AIDS, and there is no vaccine to prevent a person from acquiring HIV.
How HIV/AIDS Is Spread
HIV can be transmitted by contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their infants during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding.
Among drug abusers, HIV transmission can occur through sharing needles and other injection paraphernalia such as cotton swabs, rinse water, and cookers. However, another way people may be at risk for HIV is simply by using drugs-regardless of whether a needle and syringe are involved. Research sponsored by NIDA and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has shown that drug and alcohol use can interfere with judgment and can lead to risky sexual behaviors that put people in danger of contracting or transmitting HIV.