Recognizing the importance of the social context of drug use, a community-based AIDS prevention research project was conducted in Hartford, Connecticut. The project was concerned with two primary tasks: (1) track reported drug use and sexual practices of out-of-treatment intravenous drug users (IDUs) and crack users over time to monitor patterns and changes in drug use activities; and (2) compare outcomes of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Standard Intervention, an established HIV prevention education-counseling model, with two culturally targeted models designed to increase HIV risk reduction self-efficacy. The 1,022 project participants recruited between October 1992 and December 1995 included 791 men and 231 women; 54 percent were IDUs, 26 percent were non-injecting crack smokers, and 20 percent reported both. Data from a baseline risk behavior assessment and in-depth interviews to determine the context of female drug use showed different patterns of drug use when comparing women to men and different patterns of drug use among women (blacks, whites, and Puerto Ricans). Related differences in the prevalence of HIV, STDs, and other consequences of drug use and addiction were also observed. Most women in the project used multiple drugs and reported high rates of injection, crack use, or both, often in combination with other drugs or alcohol. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of the development of drug treatment and harm reduction programs that are appropriate for women of different ethnic backgrounds. 45 references, 3 notes, and 6 tables