Findings
from the Women Living Positive survey show that there
is a communication gap between health care providers
and women living with HIV when it comes to treatment
options that meet their individual needs. An estimated
300,000 women in the United States now live with HIV or
AIDS.
Fifty-five
percent of the women surveyed say they have never discussed
with their health care provider how HIV medications might
affect them differently than men. Of the remaining
45%, most reported that their health care provider
answered their questions to their satisfaction and
that they were comfortable discussing the issue.
Most of the women
diagnosed with HIV in the United States are of
childbearing age. Each year more than 6,000 HIV-positive
women in the United States give birth. The survey
shows many HIV-positive women and their health care
providers aren't discussing how HIV treatment options
might affect a pregnancy until after they conceive.
Fifty-seven percent of women surveyed who are or have
been pregnant did not discuss either pregnancy or
appropriate HIV treatments for pregnancy with their health
care provider before becoming pregnant.
"With the rise of
HIV infections in women, it is important to understand
their struggles and unique issues when evaluating their care
and treatment options," says Kathleen Squires, director of
Infectious Diseases and Environmental Medicine at
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and professor of
medicine at Jefferson Medical College. "Women living
with HIV need to work with their health care provider
to discuss important topics including their emotional
well-being, family planning considerations, and care
that best meets their health history and
lifestyle."
"The Women Living
Positive survey concludes that there is a
communication gap between women and their health care
providers when discussing HIV treatment options
appropriate for them," says Dawn Averitt Bridge,
founder and chair of the board of the Well Project, a
nonprofit organization for women affected by HIV. "We hope
the survey findings will encourage discussion between
women and their health care providers about HIV
medications that best meet their individual needs. The
good news is the survey found that, when these types of
conversations happened, the majority of women were
satisfied and comfortable with the
experience."
Conducted by
phone between December 21 and March 14, the survey compiles
responses from 700 HIV-positive women who have been on
anti-HIV medications for at least three years.
For more information about the Women Living Positive
survey, visit www.thewellproject.org. The site
also provides comprehensive information about HIV and
provides tools and resources for women living with the
disease in English and in Spanish. (The
Advocate)
