Women Who Use Drugs and HIV: Position Statement 2015

Women-identified drug users and those also living with HIV face significant challenges accessing a broad set of healthcare services, including HIV treatment, care, and support, as well as harm reduction services. These challenges stem from structural, social, and cultural prejudice stemming from punitive drug policies around the world. As Anand Grover, UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the highest attainable state of health, has pointed out, ‘The criminalization of [the practice of using drugs] hinders the right to health of all persons.’ Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a statement in the 2014 Consolidated Guidelines on HIV Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Care for Key Populations, ‘Countries should work toward developing policies and laws that decriminalize injection and other use of drugs and, thereby, reduce incarceration.’