Introduction
HIV INFECTION
Globally, people who inject drugs (PWID) are disproportionately burdened by HIV infection, but further disparities exist within the PWID population [Ukraine, a former Soviet republic in Eastern Europe, has the second-highest HIV incidence rate (39.0–42.5/100,000 in 2019) among the 53 countries comprising the WHO European Region [Factors across socioecological levels may amplify HIV risk for women who inject drugs in Ukraine. For example, individual-level factors include low condom use (44%) among women and men who inject drugs, and women’s enhanced biological susceptibility to contract HIV sexually [Of note, however, is that protective factors have also been identified, with one social network factor in particular, gender homophily—the extent to which network members are the same gender—emerging as potentially critical to mitigate injection risk in this population. Having more women in one’s network has been shown to facilitate reductions in unsafe injection behaviors [Individual-level and social network/peer-led interventions have been implemented among PWID in Ukraine, with varying degrees of efficacy [A randomized controlled trial evaluated a social network intervention that trained PWID in Ukraine to educate their injection network members about safe injection and sexual practices, and this intervention was ultimately found to reduce HIV incidence [