Negotiating Multiple Stigmas: Substance Use in the Lives of Women Experiencing Homelessness

This paper explores the qualitative dimensions of stigma related to substance use for a sample of women experiencing homelessness in Brisbane, Australia. A secondary thematic analysis of ethnographic research data identified four key themes: (1) “Intersecting stigmas,” including experiencing homelessness, mental and physical illness, as well as being a woman who uses drugs; (2) “Perceived stigma” examines the association between homelessness and substance use; (3) Women’s experiences of multiple forms of “enacted stigma” related to substance use and homelessness, including violence, predation and victimization, discrimination, and police harassment; and (4) “Negotiating stigma” outlines techniques participants used to manage the stigma attached to substance use and homelessness, such as avoiding substance use themselves, avoiding other people who used drugs, and engaging with other social networks and activities. The paper argues that the framework of “intersectional stigma” can provide insight into the multiple stigmas negotiated by women experiencing homelessness.