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Background: Nyaope injecting practice brought the field of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) together. It is complex and requires multidisciplinary approach. Women who use drugs face individual, social, and structural factors that fuel their vulnerability to contract HIV, and other blood-borne infections. Women Who Inject Drugs (WWID) are a subpopulation that is neglected from HIV prevention and SUD treatment interventions, and are hardly the subject of surveys. In order to fully address the HIV epidemic among WWID it is imperative that they become part of the process of finding solutions.Aim: This study explored the strategies to curb HIV incidence among Women Who Inject Nyaope (WWIN), residing in City of Tshwane Municipality, Gauteng Province.Setting: The research was conducted within COSUP. COSUP was considered more appropriate as it is a harm reduction based organisation.Methods: The study utilised the qualitative research approach. Semi structured interviews were conducted with 24 women with a history of injecting Nyaope aged between 19 to 35 years. The data was analysed using thematic data analysis.Results: Health intervention, economic intervention and educational intervention was stressed as key strategies to curb HIV among WWIN. Needle exchange programmes, condom distribution, PrEP, HIV Testing and Counselling, employment opportunities, support groups and awareness campaigns if implemented, can yield positive outcomes in curbing HIV among WWID.Conclusion: Mechanisms to curb HIV among WWIN exist, and when implemented, they have the potential to address high HIV incidence among women who inject Nyaope.

Background: Nyaope injecting practice has brought the field of HIV prevention and substance abuse together. It has called for an integrative approach. Women who use drugs face multiple individual, social, and structural factors that fuel their vulnerability to HIV and other blood-borne infections. The effects of drug use are more severe on women than on their male counterpart. In order to address HIV epidemic among women who inject nyaope it is imperative that they form part of solution finding.Aim: Study aimed at exploring the strategies to curb HIV incidence amongst women who inject nyaope residing in City of Tshwane Municipality, Gauteng.Setting: The research was conducted within COSUP. COSUP was considered more appropriate as it is a harm reduction based organisation.Methods: The study utilized qualitative research approach to explore the strategies to curb HIV incidence amongst women who inject nyaope residing in City of Tshwane Municipality, Gauteng. In-depth interview was conducted with 24 women with history of injecting nyaope aged between 19 to 35 years.  The data was analyzed using thematic data analyzing method.Results: Health intervention, Economic intervention and Educational intervention was stressed as key strategies to curb HIV among women who inject nyaope. Needle exchange programme, Condom distribution, PrEP, HIV Testing and Counselling, Employment opportunities, Support groups and awareness campaigns if implemented can yield positive outcome in curbing HIV among women who inject drugs.Conclusion: Mechanism to curb HIV among women who inject nyaope exist and when implemented, they have potential to address high HIV incidence among women who inject nyaope.

Background: Substance use disorder has emerged as a key health and social challenge in South Africa (SA). It is projected that about 15% of South African youth, especially young women are prone to engage in drug use and the prospects of coming into contact with nyaope, a highly addictive drug, are higher. Nyaope is mainly smoked, but the prevalence of injecting it is increasing in most regions.Aim: This study aimed to explore and describe the perception of women, who use nyaope, about the factors contributing to nyaope smoking and transitioning to injecting nyaope amongst women in the City of Tshwane Municipality (CoT), Gauteng.Setting: The research was conducted within Community Oriented Substance Use Programme sites across the CoT Municipality.Methods: Qualitative research methods were utilised to explore and describe the perceptions of the participants on factors contributing to the use of nyaope amongst women residing in the CoT. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and thematically analysed.Results: Intimate partner influence (IPI), peer pressure, being misled by friends, weight loss, lack of effective coping mechanisms and counteracting other drugs contributed to women smoking nyaope. Additionally, a need for an intense high, IPI, influence by the social network, curiosity and cost-effectiveness contributed to women transitioning from smoking to injecting nyaope.Conclusion: The study has established factors contributing to smoking and transition to injecting nyaope as viewed by women residing in the CoT.Contribution: This research affirms that women are influenced by different factors to use and transition to injecting Nyaope.