The number of female injection drug users in Indonesia is rapidly increasing. This study explores the experiences of women living with HIV in recovery from heroin injection. Using a ground theory approach, 22 women former drug users in Jakarta participated in this study. Six themes emerged: the challenges of quitting, the role of self-motivation, the utility of methadone treatment, the importance of partner and family support, the transformation of "self" and situation, and the rewards of a normal life if successful. These women's accounts point to the personal and cultural challenges that they faced as women, wives, and mothers.
Keywords: HIV; Indonesian female drug users; women in drug recovery.