Health care disparities among out-of treatment cocaine users in St. Louis.

Cocaine users experience barriers to health care, including mental illness, drug use, and lack of insurance. Being male and a minority member increases the health care disparity. These factors were evaluated among 961 street-recruited cocaine users' baseline and three month follow-up data. Gender-related disparities in care and attitudes towards care emerged. In multivariate models controlling for baseline visits and intervention group, follow-up visits increased among depressed men and female sex traders with insurance.