With the HIV epidemic increasingly disproportionately affecting women, it is crucial to understand the social service needs of women living with HIV, especially given that little work has been done on a national level to examine this issue. An exploratory survey was conducted at the 1999 National Conference on Women and HIV/AIDS on 453 women living with HIV (WLH) representing all 50 states in both urban and rural settings. These WLH represent recent immigrants, commercial sex workers, women who have sex with women, women who have experienced partner violence or sexual assault, women who have been incarcerated, migrant workers, and homeless and low-income women. Issues examined in the survey included a wide range of variables, incorporating sociodemographic information; access to services; medication adherence; and life and functionality issues such as pregnancy, intentional violence, employment, social support, and quality of life.
It is critical to accurately understand different and similar needs of all women living with HIV and meet those needs through access to comprehensive, integrated, women-friendly services. Providers wishing to assist HIV-positive women may consider improving psychosocial services by addressing a wide range of life concerns and not being focused on HIV disease to the exclusion of other, equally important, life issues. Data are being analyzed using the SPSS statistical software and will be available by March 2000.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participants in this session will be able to: 1) Identify social service needs of women living with HIV/AIDS. 2) Assess the scope of social service needs of women living with HIV/AIDS. 3) Use information provided to develop social service programs for women living with HIV/AIDS
Keywords: Needs Assessment, Quality of Life
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.