Intravenous drug abuse in female – a case series

Background – There are significant gender differences in the prevalence, risk factors, access to medical care amongst the intravenous drug abusers. The sociocultural determinants also act as a barrier for women drug abusers to attend a Opioid substitution therapy (OST) centre. The women who abuse Intravenous drugs are prone to abuse both physical and sexual. Method – We will describe the case histories of three Women Intravenous drug abusers who have been on Buprenorphine therapy from OST centre of a Tertiary Care Hospital. Discussion – All the three women were initiated in taking Intravenous Opioids by their spouses. They reported sharing needle with their husbands. One out of three ladies have tested positive for HIV. All of them were housewives and came from rural/semiurban background. History of domestic violence was present. Conclusion – Intravenous drug abuse in female is increasing with time. In majority of the cases the spouse or sexual partner force them to try the drug. Widespread campaign regarding the serious side effects of intravenous drug abuse should be taken up by both Government and NGOs.