Patterns of hazardous alcohol consumption exist in countries with the worst HIV epidemics, most notably Southern and Eastern Africa, according to ICRW expert Katherine Fritz and colleagues in, “Alcohol: The Forgotten Drug in HIV/AIDS,” a comment for a special series of The Lancet.
The authors also highlight the risk to women who sell and serve alcohol in bars, hotels and other venues “who are at increased risk of drinking alcohol themselves, engaging in unprotected sex with their clients and HIV infection.” They conclude that gender and alcohol researchers should work jointly to determine ways of integrating gender into programs designed to reduce alcohol-related sexual-risk behavior, which might offer valuable lessons to the field of HIV and substance-use research.
The Lancet special series focuses on the growing HIV epidemic among people who use drugs and was launched July 20 in Vienna at the XVIII International AIDS Conference.
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2 Comments
ALCOHOL WOMEN AND HIV
As an HIV researcher that escaped the dangers of alcohol in a small village in Kenya, I am pleased to see that more people are acknowledging and highlighting the role of alcohol in HIV transmission. Now we need to come together and tackle the problem at the roots! Its a monster in my village! I've got dreams and would like to work closely with ICRW and others that might be interested. kemaje@gmail.com
oops... email for above
oops... email for above comment kemajki@gmail.com
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