Violence Against Women Who Inject Drugs

"Violence against women results in considerable harms.¹ Women who use drugs are at increased risk of violence, with a lifetime prevalence of experiencing violence estimated at 70% to 98%.^-5 Drug use and violence against women are complex and nonlinear; drug consumption can precede violence, result from exposure to violence, and/or stem from structural disadvantage that increases the risk of violence.6^-8 However, evidence shows that women who have experienced violence are more likely than women who have not to use alcohol and other drugs,⁸ and women who use alcohol and other drugs are more likely than women who do not to report experiencing violence.⁷

"Poor outcomes from violence are amplified for women who inject drugs.⁹ Among women in Spain who injected drugs, nearly half reported physical or sexual assault in the previous year; these women were more likely to be unhoused, engaged in sex work, and report a previous sexually transmitted infection.¹⁰ Among Black women in New York City using illicit drugs, each increase in violence (eg, physical, sexual, or emotional) experienced was associated with a 27% increased risk of drug overdose.¹¹ A review found intimate partner violence was associated with substance use and impeded treatment engagement and completion.⁸ Managing these harms is complicated by barriers to support, as stigma, fear of child protection involvement, and discriminatory service exclusion often deter women who use drugs from seeking help after violence.12"