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Significant health disparities in the rates of HIV infection primarily affect African American women. Although research has demonstrated that for some individuals HIV is connected to preventable high-risk behaviors related to substance use, a further examination of how these risks are perceived by the individuals involved in these activities is warranted. This study prevents the results of 11 focus groups with 89 African American women who use crack cocaine in which respondents shared their perceptions of HIV risk behaviors. The results of this study suggest that women crack cocaine users in Nashville, Tennessee, are not injecting the drug. There appeared to be high levels of perceived sexual risks associated with the use of crack cocaine by some users; however, this was not universal, as many active users have internalized HIV prevention messages. The results of this study are significant in that further understanding of the means by which individuals experience their risk behaviors will enable more effective targeting of potential interventions to reduce the spread of HIV. KEY WORDS: crack cocaine; HIV risk; substance abuse [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]