Out of 20,887 persons who use drugs that came into contact
with the National Anti-Drugs Agency (NADA) officials in the year 2013,
3.2 % were women. Because women who use drugs (WWUD) are often a hidden
population, this may be an underestimate. International literature shows that
women who use drugs face increased risk of HIV, intimate partner violence, and
mental health issues. Similar literature in Malaysia is lacking, and thus, the
objective of our study was exploratory in nature.
Thirty-eight women who use drugs were interviewed using a
semi-structured topic guide in Kelantan, Penang, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, and
Selangor. Locations were chosen purposively. Nineteen women were interviewed
individually and the remaining 19 were in focus group discussions (FGDs). All
interviews were transcribed verbatim, translated to English, and analyzed with
NVivo.
Median age of respondents was 35.5 years old,
89.5 % ethnic Malays, majority having married below the age of 20, and
were of low socioeconomic backgrounds. Youngest age of initiation into drug use
was 9 years old. Most reported is inhalation of amphetamine-type
substances. Seven reported ever injecting. Three themes emerged: (a) repeating
patterns of fluid family structures and instability; (b) “pain” and
“difficulty” as features of home life; and (c) seeking marriage as a source of
stabilization and practices of power within those marriages. Respondents often
came from very fluid family environments and married to find stability, only to
be drawn into a similar cycle. None of the women who had been separated from
their children either institutionally, by family members, or by third parties,
had accessed legal recourse for the loss of their parental rights.
Unstable familial relationships or environments contributed
to earlier initiation of drug use which raised questions about support services
for WWUD and children who use drugs. Respondents were drawn into unstable
and/or abusive relationships, perpetuating social inequalities that marked
their own familial environments during childhood. These findings support the
need for additional services to support the unique needs of WWUD, including
domestic violence services, financial and life skills, parental rights
assistance, and empowerment programs.
By: Fifa Rahman1*, Priya Lall2, Sarah Iqbal1 and B. Vicknasingam3
1Malaysian AIDS Council, No. 12, Jalan
13/48A, Sentul Raya Boulevard, Kuala Lumpur, 51000, Malaysia
2University of Malaya, Medical Faculty,
Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia
3Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains
Malaysia, Penang, 11800, Malaysia
