Abstract
Objective:
This study sought to determine whether health outcomes differed by gender in a cohort of African American, Hispanic American, and white drug users.
Methods:
The authors studied hospitalization rates and discharge diagnoses in the HERO Study, an ongoing prospective study of drug users that included HIV-positive and HIV-negative opiate users. The data are from 1996-2000, when highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was available.
Results:
Women had higher rates of hospitalization than men independent of HIV status, and there was no association between ethnicity and hospitalization. Being a woman was an independent risk factor for HIV and non-HIV-related hospitalization.
Conclusion:
Health disparities between men and women extend to HIV.
MeSH terms
-
Adult
-
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / statistics & numerical data*
-
Black or African American / psychology*
-
Black or African American / statistics & numerical data
-
Chi-Square Distribution
-
Cohort Studies
-
Female
-
HIV Infections / complications
-
HIV Infections / drug therapy*
-
HIV Infections / ethnology*
-
Health Services Accessibility
-
Hispanic or Latino / psychology*
-
Hispanic or Latino / statistics & numerical data
-
Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data*
-
Hospitals, Urban / statistics & numerical data
-
Humans
-
Male
-
Middle Aged
-
New York City / epidemiology
-
Risk Factors
-
Sex Factors
-
Socioeconomic Factors
-
Substance Abuse, Intravenous / complications
-
Substance Abuse, Intravenous / ethnology*
-
White People / psychology*
-
White People / statistics & numerical data
-
Women's Health