There are certain problems that affect the population of women that are at high risk for HIV/AIDS and who already have the disease. Because contracting AIDS leads to degenerative health conditions, males and females with the disease have a loss of bodily functions. This can in turn affect one’s ability to maintain a job and therefore provide for their medical insurance. More women than men with AIDS tend to live in poverty. The majority of women with AIDS face many economic challenges and from statistical data it attests to the fact that many of them tend to be African American and Hispanic. With the stigma of AIDS attached to their problems, it is unlikely that they have control over access to quality health care. Generally, people living in poverty, live under environmental conditions where there is a highly drug induced economy and prostitution is common on the streets. Intravenous drug users put themselves at great risks to receive advanced strains of HIV and are prone to more lethal infections [6]. Many IV-drug users lack health insurance and this prevents them from being hospitalized to obtain treatment. They also run the risk of infecting others especially if they are unaware that they themselves are infected. Gender statistics show that female IV-drug users have it harder compared to the men because they are more inclined to have young children, lack education, and employment opportunities [6].There is a major disparity in the number of drug treatment programs available for women as most of them refuse to provide residence for women who are pregnant or have children.
Women who use drugs most often engage in prostitution [6]. This involvement in illicit activities is further heightened by their individual circumstances. An overwhelming proportion of prostitutes are Black and Latino women because of poverty and racism. The discrimination they face inhibits them from working in higher-class escort services and casinos [6]. Prostitutes are hardly in control of their situations and if under the influence of drugs are probably more concerned with getting more drugs than protecting themselves, therefore they are highly at risk for contracting HIV