WHRIN is a global platform to expand harm reduction approaches for women.
WHRIN is a global platform to expand harm reduction approaches for women.
A significant proportion (ranging from at least 15% up to nearly half depending on country/region) of all people who use drugs in the world are women. Women who use drugs tend to be even more overlooked than their male counterparts, with related research, services, guidelines, training programs and data collection generally mainstreamed into a male context. Many women report that they feel excluded from existing harm reduction activities, especially those who are pregnant or who have children, transgender women, sex workers and incarcerated women. There is also a glaring paucity of responses addressing the sexual and reproductive health needs of women who use drugs. The absence of appropriate policies and services is even more marked in global south countries, where violations of the rights of women who use drugs are common occurrences.