Specifically, an effort was made to depict how attempts of the women to manage their finances, drug procurement, and drug use resulted in a dialectic of control. Inherent in many of the women's strategies to manage drug markets and to control their own drug use and life circumstances were the sources of constraints on control. Exerting control in a changing marketplace required being an informed consumer. In turn, this called for ongoing involvement in drug-using worlds to maintain current knowledge. Despite a male-dominated underground marketplace where force and potential retaliation were the basis for settling disputes, women used strategies to increase their control. To maintain current knowledge about the people who sold drugs and the places where drugs were sold, women had to be inundated in drug-using social worlds. Women who were good negotiators and communicators wielded more control in their dealings with drug sellers. Drug dealers settled conflicts using threats or actual violence. A female buyer was at a decided disadvantage due to her unequal ability to retaliate. Nonetheless, women employed tactics and strategies that minimized their risks and increased their control. 19 references and 3 notes