Surveillance data indicate that HIV risk and substance use is a serious problem among South African women. This study, funded by the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), builds on findings from a recently completed pilot study among women in less affluent townships and communities in the Western Cape (Wechsberg et al., 2008). The pilot study tested the effectiveness of an evidence-based woman-focused intervention in reducing drug use, sexual risk, and victimization by addressing the intersection of these factors among 100 poor, substance-using women of colour.