Drug and Alcohol Use

We are delighted to let you know that ICW has produced a new Vision Paper - 'HIV Positive Women and Drug and Alcohol Use'. This Vision Paper highlights the research conducted for Silent Voices, a unique participatory project carried out by and for HIV positive women on the experiences of HIV positive drug/alcohol using women living in London, UK. The project aimed to address the current lack of support and information available for HIV positive women who also use drugs and alcohol. In order to find out what services the women needed, ICW explored relationships, employment, motherhood, available services, and barriers to access.

Funded by the University of Lancaster, UK, Silent Voice was developed to research services available for HIV positive drug/alcohol using women living in London, UK, their experiences of such services as well as barriers to access and to find out what services the women felt they needed. The project also aimed to create links between positive women drug users, with the help of local partner organizations, to collate information on current policies and practice and to develop advocacy tools around gender, sexual reproductive health rights, access to care, treatment and support, harm reduction and possibly prevention.