Of the cases reported between July 1994 and June 1995, at least 44 percent of the HIV-positive males were in the homosexual and bisexual exposure categories and at least 16 percent of the male HIV cases were attributed to injection drug use. In particular, women are more likely than men to be reported initially without risk for HIV because both women and their care providers may not recognize or report the risk behaviors of the woman or her partners.
Heterosexual contact is the most rapidly increasing transmission category for women.
High rates of sexually transmitted diseases are associated with the use of non-injecting drugs and with the exchange of sex for drugs, money, or personal items. An estimated 7,000 HIV-infected women delivered infants in the United States during 1993. The trends for exposure categories among Maryland adult males are 45 percent via homosexual relations and 35 percent via injection drug use. According to Maryland's Drug and Alcohol Abuse Control Plan for 1994, alcohol remains the most frequently cited substance of abuse among those admitted to Maryland substance abuse treatment centers. It is important to include alcohol when considering the AIDS-drugs connection because it can lessen inhibitions and contribute to risk behaviors associated with HIV transmission, such as unprotected sexual activity.