The Unique Problems of Women With HIV

I was delighted to discover the July 26 article about “Resolve to Live.” Too often, media coverage of HIV/AIDS neglects to focus on the specific issues, concerns and challenges of women living with this disease. Reporter Marnell Jameson provided a valuable service by bringing Dr. Gail Wyatt’s important study to public attention.

However, her article missed two important points. First, Lisa Howard’s (the subject of the article) excellent health owes much to her racial background and socioeconomic class. By not fully exploring the important connections among HIV infection, race, class and access to health care, Jameson’s article implicitly assumes a naive, “gee whiz, wealthy white women get AIDS too!” tone.

We need a better, more explicit analysis of why black or Latino women more often seek care in community clinics and how wealth inequality influences women’s access to AIDS drugs and general health care services.

Second, by focusing solely on the life of one fortunate individual, Jameson misses an important opportunity to discuss how HIV and AIDS infection among women is a profound social problem that requires significant public resources and innovative policy responses. Perhaps the next Health article could highlight some of the organizations, programs and services designed to meet the needs of women like Lisa Howard and other women living with HIV/AIDS.

CARYN AVIV

Department of Sociology/Anthropology

Loyola University, Chicago

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Lisa Howard and her family are a wonderful example of positive living with HIV. It is also gratifying to read that the private medical sector is becoming more involved in treating HIV-positive women. The writer or her sources are mistaken, however, in suggesting that the care of HIV-positive women in community clinics is inferior to that in private offices, and that community clinic HIV programs only serve low-income African American and Latina women.

T.H.E. Clinic is a nonprofit, primary-care provider located in the Crenshaw District, but from the outset our program has served women of all incomes, races and ethnicities. Over one-third of our HIV patients are Caucasian. Women come to T.H.E. Clinic for care for the same reason patients needing heart surgery choose a hospital renowned for heart surgery.

In a recent UCLA study of satisfaction of HIV-positive patients served at T.H.E. Clinic, over 79% rated the medical services excellent, and none rated the care poor. Case management, educational support and psychosocial service received equally high ratings. Finally, many of the patients who are participating in the Women and HIV study at UCLA described in the article were recruited from this clinic. The researchers, therefore, have direct knowledge of the economic and racial diversity of our patients. With rates of infection among all women rising so dramatically, all women need every good avenue of care they can find.

SYLVIA DREW IVIE

Executive director

T.H.E. Clinic

Los Angeles

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I’d like to express how moved I was by Marnell Jameson’s piece. As an AIDS-free young woman, I have so often wondered what it would be like if I became infected.

After reading so many articles and seeing so many newscasts, I realized I had never seen someone like me represented in this scenario. How could I go on if this happened to me? How would I tell my mother or my friends? Would I ever fall in love or have kids? Could life ever be normal again?

Reading about Lisa Howard’s life helped me to envision the answers to some of these questions. Thanks to Jameson’s honest and personal account and Howard’s sincerity and drive to communicate, I now have seen and felt a positive and real example of what can come of such a situation.

ALISON GANG

Los Angeles

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Just a thank-you for such an inspiring article on the Howards.

We need more messages like this to educate and inform people on some of the challenges that heroes and heroines like this couple go through each day.

BOB TUCK

Torrance