Preliminary outcomes of a model program for increasing treatment access for African American women who use crack cocaine and are at risk for contracting HIV.

In the United States, the threat of HIV/AIDS to African American women's health has become the focus of much concern. This paper describes a federally funded community-based program that provides services to African American women at risk for HIV/AIDS in Nashville, Tennessee. The program provides a culturally relevant set of interventions specific to crack cocaine users aimed at reducing substance use and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors. The model is important for the continued development of culturally relevant interventions aimed at reducing the disproportionate rates of HIV/AIDS within the African American community by ensuring treatment access to all populations.