HIV and Women: Current Controversies and Clinical Relevance

Abstract
Neglect of HIV-infected women in the AIDS epidemic has produced an outcry from many segments of society. Calls for changes in the direction of research and the delivery of health care services, as well as inclusion of women disorders specific to entities to increase the number of women eligible for AIDS-related benefits, has met with resistance. The reasons for this resistance are complex. HIV has focused attention on the problems women's health issues have had historically in this country. Typically, issues related to women's health receive attention regarding only their importance to child health. The demographics of the women most likely to be HIV-infected—poor women and women of color—highlight issues of classism, racism, and health care delivery. These three "-ism's"—sexism, classism, and racism—have led to a dearth of relevant scientific data, thus creating many of the controversial aspects associated with the care and treatment of HIV infection in women.