Resumo:
The consumption and drug trafficking by women is on rise in Brazil. These behaviors are permeated, among other factors, by conditions of social and gender inequalities. In this context, consumption and participation in drug trafficking are considered misconduct to females. This research was developed in order to understand the social representations of women about feminine involvement with drugs. This is a qualitative study based on the Theory of Social Representations, conducted with 19 women over 18 years old enrolled in a 'CADS Ad' in the city of Salvador/BA. For data collection two instruments had been used: Free Word Association Test, and semistructured interviews, which were applied during the period from September and December of 2012. TALP was composed of four stimuli, "drugs", "feminine users of drugs", "drug dealer woman" and "health". The information collected by the TALP was organized and analyzed seeking associations with the interviews. Results shows that the term "drug" is represented as destruction/loss; female users are seen as bad/ugly; Prison and death were the most evoked terms by drug dealer woman and, "being well" is the most frequency term for health stimulus. The interview content enable the possibility to comprehend the ideas, creed and values revealed by TALP's results. The terms evoked by those investigated women shows the prejudice and stigma in relation to drugs and to women's involvement with drugs. In addition, reveal experiences lived by investigated women. He presented social representation of health contradicts the participants conditions of life. The research offers subsidies to new discussions about the female involvement with drugs, considering the context of life and the specificities of these women
