TRIPLE STIGMA

Women who inject illegal psychoactive substances in Mexicali, Mexico

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31060/rbsp.2026.v20.n1.2122

Keywords:

Mexicali, Stigma, Women, Use of psychoactive substances

Abstract

The stigmas affecting women who use illegal psychoactive substances (IPS) on Mexico's northwestern border are analyzed based on 30 interviews conducted in the city of Mexicali. When poly-drug use and different routes of administration are observed, heroin and induction are the most socially judged patterns of use by family members, health services, and other IPS users. The participants suffer a triple stigma for being women (gender role), users (illegality), and injecting mainly heroin (consumption style). This can be a barrier to accessing treatment and health services, as well as seeking physical and mental help to internalize and not reveal their consumption. Differentiated intervention strategies are suggested that take into account the situation of women, their practices and rituals of use, but also do not stigmatize them for their consumption style.

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Author Biographies

Alejandra García de Loera, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes

PhD in Sociocultural Studies from the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, Mexico. Researcher in critical studies on substance use. She has conducted research stays at FLACSO Ecuador, CIDE, and the University of Caldas, integrating her experience and knowledge into her academic work. She is currently a member of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP).

Lourdes Angulo Corral, Integración Social Verter

Specialization in Gender Studies and Education, National Pedagogical University (UPN Mexicali Campus). Director of the Integración Social Verter association. Bachelor's degree in Public Administration and Political Science, with more than 15 years of experience as an activist and human rights defender. She works to reduce the risks and harms of psychoactive substance use and defends the sexual and reproductive rights of young people. Co-founder and director of Integración Social Verter, AC, and promoter of the first site for injectable substance use for women in Mexico and Latin America.

Pablo González Nieto, Universidad de Victoria

Master of Science, University of Victoria, Canada (UVIC). He is a research assistant at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) and works on harm reduction and substance analysis. He collaborates as a researcher with the Mexican organization Verter. His training focuses on the study of risk environments for people who inject drugs on Mexico's northern border. He has participated in research projects and harm reduction services in Mexico, Canada, and the Netherlands.

Jaime Arredondo Sánchez Lira, Universidad de Victoria

PhD in Global Public Health from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Assistant professor at the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria, Canada (UVIC) and researcher at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR).

David Goodman-Meza, Universidad de California, Los Ángeles

Doctor of Medicine from the Autonomous University of Baja California, Mexico. Associate researcher at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. He is a clinical-scientific specialist in infectious diseases and substance use disorders. He has experience in using artificial intelligence to identify people who inject drugs and evaluate clinical outcomes from electronic medical records, as well as in clinical trials. He previously worked in the United States, where he received several grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

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Published

2026-02-03

How to Cite

GARCÍA DE LOERA, Alejandra; ANGULO CORRAL, Lourdes; GONZÁLEZ NIETO, Pablo; ARREDONDO SÁNCHEZ LIRA, Jaime; GOODMAN-MEZA, David. TRIPLE STIGMA: Women who inject illegal psychoactive substances in Mexicali, Mexico. Revista Brasileira de Segurança Pública, [S. l.], v. 20, n. 1, p. 220–247, 2026. DOI: 10.31060/rbsp.2026.v20.n1.2122. Disponível em: https://revista.forumseguranca.org.br/rbsp/article/view/2122. Acesso em: 4 apr. 2026.

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Vol. 20 No. 1 (2026): Revista Brasileira de Segurança Pública 38

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