14.12.2012 Views

The Context of HIV Risk Among Drug Users and Their Sexual Partners

The Context of HIV Risk Among Drug Users and Their Sexual Partners

The Context of HIV Risk Among Drug Users and Their Sexual Partners

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

forearm during a sexual episode. At that time he believed he was in love.<br />

He stated that he has not had similar beliefs since that time.<br />

Jim<br />

Jim is an outgoing 21-year-old male who identifies himself as bisexual.<br />

He reported a troubled childhood in Tucson. His mother was a heavy<br />

drinker, a “bar-woman” who ignored him <strong>and</strong> her other children. He was<br />

frequently cared for by his stepfather’s father, who regularly got him<br />

drunk on alcohol when he was a child. His older brother taught him how<br />

to smoke marijuana <strong>and</strong> chew tobacco before he was 10 years old. For as<br />

long as he can remember, he used illicit substances. He “got high” every<br />

day, except during the long stretches <strong>of</strong> time he spent in reform school or<br />

jail.<br />

Throughout his early adolescence he was in <strong>and</strong> out <strong>of</strong> reform school,<br />

usually taking “raps” for his older brother, until one particularly<br />

threatening crime <strong>and</strong> the prospect <strong>of</strong> jail caused him to run away.<br />

Previous problems with the criminal justice system led him to the<br />

Southeast, where he found that his relatives <strong>and</strong> friends smoked locally<br />

grown marijuana.<br />

Subsequently he hitchhiked to Portl<strong>and</strong>, OR where he stole a motor,<br />

scooter <strong>and</strong> traded it for some speed. After getting into trouble with the<br />

local police when he was “wired,” Jim decided to go to Los Angeles <strong>and</strong><br />

then San Francisco.<br />

“From the way I heard it, this was the place to be if, it was real liberal.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y called it the ‘Gay Bay,’ down here. I figured I’ll go check out the<br />

Gay Bay! (laughs) I never left! This is where I fit in! I think I fit in.”<br />

Rob<br />

Rob discovered that he was homosexual at 15. He was able to develop a<br />

gay lifestyle in the Northwest United States without losing the love <strong>and</strong><br />

support <strong>of</strong> his family. His upbringing was middle class. In his early<br />

adolescence, Rob encountered a variety <strong>of</strong> drugs being used among his<br />

friends:<br />

“Acid basically, acid, cocaine, marijuana. I never injected anything, I<br />

would never put a needle in my arm. I never have. I’ve tried crack,<br />

160

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!