Drugs,

Alcohol

and

HIV/AIDS

A Consumer Guide for

African Americans
Drugs & Alcohol

Drug and alcohol use can lead to risky behaviors that can

increase your exposure to HIV/AIDS. For example, using

or sharing drug materials, like needles or cotton, increases

your chances of becoming infected with HIV.

There are different types of HIV, called strains. Even if

you are already infected with one strain of the virus,

using alcohol or other drugs puts you at risk of being

infected with a different one. Medications that you

might be taking to treat one strain of the infection may

not be effective on another strain. If you are pregnant,

you could even infect your unborn baby.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. Call the Drug

and Alcohol Treatment Hotline (1-800-662-HELP [4357])

for help in getting treatment. It can be your first step

toward recovery.

If you decide to get drug or alcohol treatment in addition to

HIV treatment, let your current doctor know. He or she can

work with your drug or alcohol treatment provider to make

sure the two types of treatment work together.

Did you know?

In 2004, African Americans represented—

 • 49 percent of all people living with AIDS in the 

United States

 • 50 percent of all estimated new HIV infections

 • Nearly two-thirds of all estimated new infections among women

Injection drug use is the 2nd leading cause of HIV 

infection for African American women and the 3rd 

leading cause of infection for African American 

men.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February 2006

HIV/AIDS

What do drugs and alcohol

have to do with HIV?

What if I already have HIV?

What if I can’t stop using

drugs or alcohol?
African Americans now account for

about half of all new HIV infections

in the United States, and nearly

two-thirds of all cases among women.

What if I can’t handle all of

this alone?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to do it alone. Listed on the

back of this brochure are hotlines and Web sites that can

help you locate a support group, good health care, the

treatment you need, and even a place to live if you need

one. Call the toll-free number or visit the Web site of your

choice today. It could positively change your whole life.

There are people who really care about what happens

with you.
You are not alone. 

Help is available.

Call These Toll-Free 

24-Hour Phone Numbers

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Hotline 

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

National AIDS Hotline

1-800-342-AIDS (2437)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Helpline

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Or Visit These Web Sites

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator 

http://www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov

Office of Minority Health Resource Center

Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative 

http://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/dhap.htm

National Minority AIDS Council

http://www.nmac.org

Black Women’s Health Network 

http://www.blackwomenshealth.com

The Black Church HIV/AIDS Network

http://www.balmingilead.org/

Or check the box below to see if a treatment center 

near you has listed its address and/or phone number.

The people who appear in this brochure are models and are used 

for illustrative purposes only. Do not reproduce or distribute this 

publication for a fee without specific, written authorization from the 

Office of Communications, SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services.

This brochure was created to accompany the publication 

Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons With HIV/AIDS, #37 in 

CSAT’s Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series. The TIP 

series and its affiliated products may be ordered from SAMHSA’s 

Publications Ordering Web page at http://store.samhsa.gov.

Or, please call SAMHSA at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) 

(English and Español).

HHS Publication No. (SMA) 15-4248

Printed 2007

Revised 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015