Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115113

Gunjeong Lee, Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168 St, New York, NY 10032, 212 305 1549, gl65@columbia.edu

To meet multiple needs for people with HIV/AIDS, hundreds of new, mostly community-based service organizations have emerged to provide medical and social services. Among these service providers, some people go far to get these services and others use ones nearby. Literatures have shown that women are more likely to have social relationship in their neighborhoods because of women's domestic responsibilities. The nature and content of female neighborhood relationships may result in women's greater awareness and utilization of neighborhood based services. Or women might be more influenced by community-based control because of their extensive relationships in neighborhoods. This study examines gender differences in the use of service providers in the neighborhoods. At first, geographical distances between service providers and clients' residential place were measured, using geographical informational system (ArcGIS). Secondly, survey information about the knowledge and the utility of neighborhood service providers, and the reasons for not using neighborhood service provider were collected. The data from the Community Health Advisory and Information Network (CHAIN) project, survey study about people with HIV/AIDS in New York City (n=1,579 cases, 1997-2000), has been used for this analysis. Preliminary study shows that the physical distances to service providers for women is farther than those of men. Fewer women used neighborhood providers and fewer women wanted to use them than men. The major reasons include higher level of women's fearing of labeling as HIV patient and women's tendency not to change their providers.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session the participant in this session will be able to

• Demonstrate gender difference in geographical distances to service provider
• Identify gender difference of utility level of neighborhood service provider
• Find out gender difference on the reasons not using community service provider
• Identify individual characteristics of the persons who did not use neighborhood service providers

Keywords: Women and HIV/AIDS, Community-Based Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.