Is AIDS Spread By the Use of Crack?

Crack, a smokable form of cocaine, is indeed associated with the spread of AIDS. Several papers at the Fifth International Conference on AIDS in Montreal confirmed the suspicion of many observers that crack use is one of the greatest risks for the spread of the infection.

You're correct in thinking that the method of crack use in itself does not spread the disease. But many users of crack are also users of IV drugs. The virus is thus getting into the crack network via IV drug users, who may swap sex with their supplier for crack, or sell sex elsewhere for money to buy the drug. The infection is also spread in so-called crack houses, where users may have sex with several partners.

Dr. Andrew Moss, an associate adjunct professor of epidemiology and international health at the University of California at San Francisco, found that crack users had seven times the risk of nonusers of infection with the AIDS antibody.

Indeed, says Dr. Moss, crack use is now more strongly associated with HIV infection than any other factor, including homosexual contact, needle sharing, or having large numbers of sex partners.

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