Why do you need to know about substance use?
Drugs, alcohol, and HIV
Using drugs or alcohol can increase a person’s risk for acquiring or
transmitting HIV. This website will help you learn how to protect yourself
and others, even if you decide to continue using drugs or alcohol. There
are two main ways that drug use can increase HIV risk:
- Sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs can lead to HIV transmission.
- Using drugs or alcohol during sex can affect a person’s ability to make decisions about when and with whom to have sex and about condom use.
For more details on how substance use affects HIV risk, see:
- Fact Sheet: How Do Club Drugs Impact HIV Prevention?
- Fact Sheet: What Are Substance Users HIV Prevention Needs?
Some recreational drugs can impact the course of HIV disease or interact with HIV/AIDS medications. People living with HIV need to know how drugs and alcohol might affect them so they can make informed decisions about their health.
Where can you get help with substance use issues?
Whether you want to stop using drugs or alcohol, reduce your use, find safer ways to use, or learn strategies to have safer sex while using, there are many resources you can access. In San Francisco, we believe in harm reduction. Harm reduction embraces and acknowledges a wide range of possibilities with respect to drug use – from safer use to abstinence. The goal of harm reduction is to reduce the negative consequences associated with drug and alcohol use.
If you just need information, check out the resources at the bottom of this page. If you are seeking treatment for substance use, want counseling or support to reduce your HIV risk, or want to know where the needle exchange sites are in San Francisco, use our online services database to find a service or program that’s right for you.
Online resources
regarding specific drugs
Online resources for
specific communities