March 30, 2009

One in Five HIV-Positive Women Drinks Heavily

Nearly 20 percent of HIV-positive women drink excessively, according to a study published in the April 15 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Researchers have known for some time that HIV-positive women who drink large quantities of alcohol have negative social and health consequences. This is especially true for women coinfected with both HIV and hepatitis. Scientists have not been certain, however, how many HIV-positive women drink excessively.

To determine the rate of hazardous alcohol consumption in HIV-positive women, Robert Cook, MD, MPH, from the College of Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and his colleagues studied behavioral surveys from HIV-positive women enrolled in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). The study followed 2,770 HIV-positive women from six U.S. cities for up to 11 years.

Cook and his colleagues defined hazardous consumption as a regular history of drinking four or more alcoholic drinks per day or seven or more alcoholic drinks per week. The proportion of women who drank excessively during the 11-year period ranged from 14 to 24 percent, and the percentage decreased somewhat over time. Excessive drinking was associated with being depressed or unemployed, being infected with the hepatitis C virus, or never having graduated from high school.

Search: alcohol, alcoholism, women, WIHS, Women's Interagency HIV Study, Robert Cook, Hepatitis C Virus, HCV

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