Patterns and perceptions of ecstasy use among young, low-income women.

A significant number of young, low-income women experiment with ecstasy outside of club or rave settings. The current study examined patterns and risk factors of ecstasy use among this group of women. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 696 women aged 18 to 31 who sought gynecological care from two university clinics in southeast Texas between December 1, 2001, and May 30, 2003. Fifteen percent of participants reported ever using ecstasy. Of those, over 90% used it at a friend's home. Compared with women who used only marijuana or other illicit drugs, ecstasy users were more likely to be white, use a larger number of other drugs, be willing to use drugs in the future, and have more friends who used drugs. Fewer ecstasy users strongly disapproved of adult drug use than users of other illicit drugs. Future interventional efforts should target young, low-income women to prevent future experimentation with illicit drugs.