Substance-use Disorders, Opportunistic Infections, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients.

Abstract

The excessive use of a drug that is harmful to the person as well as society at large is referred to as substance addiction or abuse. Some substances and risky and unsafe sexual behavior have been linked to an increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. These frequently used substances include tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, crack cocaine, and opiates. More than 50% of HIV patients were found to use alcohol, compared to 5-15% for cocaine.1 Marijuana, too, is prevalent in HIV patients. People with HIV smoke twice as much tobacco as the general population.1.