Drug use is a major factor in the spread of HIV infection. Shared equipment for using drugs can carry HIV and hepatitis, and drug use is linked with unsafe sexual activity.
Drug use can also be dangerous for people who are taking anti-HIV medications.
Drug users are less likely to take all of their medications, and street drugs may have dangerous interactions with HIV medications. Sharing equipment also spreads hepatitis B, hepatitis C , and other serious diseases. Infected blood can be drawn up into a syringe and then get injected along with the drug by the next user of the syringe. This is the easiest way to transmit HIV during drug use because infected blood goes directly into someone's bloodstream. Even small amounts of blood on cookers, filters, tourniquets, or in rinse water can be enough to infect another user.