ABSTRACT
The magnitude of substance abuse among Black women and Latinas and the significant health risks for these women and their children confirm that drug abuse among ethnic minority women is a significant public health problem (Carr, 1975; National Pregnancy and Health Survey, 1996). Currently, more than 4.4 million women in the United States use illicit drugs and women constitute more than 37 percent of the illicit drug using population (Mathias, 1995). Women who abuse drugs also engage in other risk behaviors and tend to have other health problems including complications of pregnancy, poor nutrition, and increased exposure to AIDS (Curtiss, Lenz, and Frei, 1993). Existing data indicate that Black women and Latinas are disproportionately impacted by substance abuse and illicit drug use is higher among Black women than White women or Latinas (Leigh, 1994).
