Risk Behaviors among Suburban Women Who Use Methamphetamine

Abstract

We propose that female methamphetamine users who live in suburbia experience risks for disease transmission stemming from their social environment that remain under the radar of public health surveillance networks. The data analyzed in this paper were collected from 2007 to 2011 and were drawn from two sequential studies on methamphetamine use. The studies were conducted in the suburbs of a southeastern United States metropolis. We analyzed a total of 65 qualitative interviews with former and active methamphetamine-using women. Data from focus groups also were included in the analysis. The participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 51 years. We identified three major themes with regards to risk behaviors and transmission of infectious diseases: (1) setting risk behaviors, such as sharing syringes and homelessness, lack of transportation and unemployment; (2) sexual risk behaviors such as condom use and having multiple partners; and (3) service- related risks, such as risk awareness and prevention behaviors as well as utilization of social services and healthcare. Our findings point to the pervasive nature of social influences on the risk for infectious disease transmission. We suggest that harm reduction programs be implemented in suburban communities to increase access to these services. Secondly, our data support the concept of social recovery for drug users to better their health and social lives holistically.

Psychiatric Comorbidity and Psychopathology of Methamphetamine Users—Are There Gender Differences?

“…Regarding further gender aspects, female MA users are characterized by having unstable (sexual) partnerships (e.g., Brecht & Herbeck, 2014;Semple et al, 2013) and having a low educational level (Ludwig-Barron et al, 2014;Shen et al, 2012). Female and male MA users suffer from economic shortcomings and the participation in the labor market is limited, especially in female MA users (e.g., Gorman et al, 2003;Lamonica & Boeri, 2015;Powelson et al, 2014;Rommel et al, 2015;Semple et al, 2013). Furthermore, MA-using women are at high risk for (unplanned) pregnancies due to frequent high-risk sexual behavior and are relatively young when bearing their first child (Brecht & Herbeck, 2014;Mühlig et al, 2015).…”

Der Teufelskreis zwischen Arbeitslosigkeit und Substanzgebrauchsstörungen

“…Gelingen solche Übergänge aus diversen Gründen nicht und/oder sind/ werden diese gehemmt, sind Bildungsabschluss, Berufsausbildung und damit Einkommen gefährdet -es droht letztendlich die Ar-beitslosigkeit. Ein Beispiel zur Substanzkonsumstörung durch Methamphetamin zeigt, dass von Methamphetaminabhängigkeit betroffene Frauen einen niedrigen SES aufweisen [62], der mit ihrer vorherrschenden Arbeits-/Erwerbslosigkeit erklärt wird [63]. Sie befinden sich oft in sozial und wirtschaftlich prekären Lebenslagen [64].…”