Violence and HIV risk behavior among male and female crack users

Crack users are a critical group on which to focus, given their potential for both violence and HIV risk behavior. However, little is known about specific interpersonal acts of violence perpetrated by male and female crack users or the association of HIV risk behavior with interpersonal violence among male and female crack users. The purpose of this paper is to examine drug use and HIV risk behavior among three groups of crack users (those reporting no violence, those reporting a moderate rate of interpersonal violence, and those reporting a high rate of interpersonal violence) and to examine gender differences among crack users who are and are not involved in violence. Results indicate that violence is associated with higher HIV risk behavior and that there were no gender by violence group differences.