SEX-DIFFERENCES IN SELF-REPORT OF PHYSICAL HEALTH BY INJECTION-DRUG USERS

Through heterosexual contact, injection drug users (IDUs) put others a t risk of contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disease. Self -report of health was compared among IDUs in Laredo, Texas, San Diego, California, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and in a subsample which conta ined HIV positive subjects from these cities. These data were compared with similar National Opinion Research Center data and indicated that IDUs do not report their health to be different from that of the gene ral public. Previous research has reported sex differences in morbidit y and mortality in the non-IDU population. This study found sex differ ences in perception of health by IDUs in Laredo and San Diego.