AIDS conference on women and children
A ID S
antibody screening
Their second-class status exacerbates problems
said she urges a team approach.
“I give them all the information. I tell them
the
good and the b a d .. .1 tell them we’re a team
he same problems that pinch the lives of
here. W e’ll make the decisions as a team. I
women in this country— poverty, lack of
health care and child care—place an additional consciously try to empower all my patients.”
While more women are feeling the impact
squeeze on women with HIV-disease and
of AIDS as patients, many others arc affected
AIDS, a health activist and educator told
because they care for people with the disease.
participants at a conference in Portland last
Heather Andersen, a training and curriculum
month.
specialist
from the University of Washington,
The two-day conference, “Women, Children
said that women who care for people with
and HIV,” aimed to address a range of concerns
AIDS, whether professionally or within their
prompted by the rising numbers of children and
families, often lack crucial support.
women in the Northwest whose lives are
AIDS can confront caregivers with multiple
touched by AIDS.
losses, the jarring impact of young people’s
As of July 23, there were 32 women
diagnosed with AIDS in Oregon, a 52 percent
increase over the previous year. Those statistics
are slight in comparison with New York City,
where AIDS is the leading cause of death
among women aged 25-39, but the rising
numbers trigger a host of medical, economic,
legal and emotional questions.
Conference panels and workshops addressed
some of these concerns, including pregnancy
counseling with HIV -positive women, cultural
sensitivity, HIV education in schools, women’s
treatment issues and family counseling with
HIV-infected children.
Many of the speakers and participants
sounded a recurring theme: that the impact of
AIDS on women and children is exacerbated by
their second-class status.
“Women are not a priority in this country,”
said Elizabeth Waters, president of the board of
the Oregon Minority AIDS Coalition. “We
need to say, “This disease is killing us. The
programs set up to treat men don’t meet our
needs.’”
AIDS affects disproportionate numbers of
women and children of color, people who
deaths and a sense of helplessness because the
traditionally have been denied access to health
disease can’t be “fixed,” Andersen said.
care and other resources.
“For myself, I think the sadness and grief is
“African-American people are very
so deep that there’s no bottom to it,” she said.
communal,” Waters said, speaking on a panel
To combat that sadness and frustration, she
of women and children personally affected by
suggested women should examine the satisfac
AIDS. W aters’ best friend, an African-
tions they get from caregiving, which might
American man, died of AIDS in August. “This
include a sense of connection to others, a
disease is destroying my people,” she said.
challenge and a feeling of being needed.
In another workshop, Jocelyn White, chief
“We have to find out what’s truly in it for us
resident at Good Samaritan Hospital, discussed
and hang onto that,” she said.
the ways that treatment of women with AIDS is
A final panel reinforced the human
affected by the politics of gender.
dimension of HIV-disease. Nancy Lawson, who
Often, women don’t see a physician
learned she was HIV-positive in March 1987,
regularly, or they see only a gynecologist, who
said she simply grapples with each day, trying
may not be familiar with AIDS symptoms and
to stay upbeat.
care, she said.
“I don’t feel there’s anything heroic about
“The impact of any illness in a woman is
my own life,” she said. “All I do is what’s in
going to be different because there are
front of me—sometimes it’s the dishes;
differences in a woman’s lifestyle and in the
sometimes it’s talking to some people.”
way a woman sees the world,” White said.
In response to a question from a member of
Still, she said, most of the symptoms and
ACT-UP Seattle about what tactics might be
treatments for AIDS are the same for both men
most valuable in combating AIDS, Waters
and women, and White recommends good
noted that a range of responses, not one single
nutrition, multi-vitamin supplements, regular
answer, is the most crucial tool.
exercise and reduced exposure to sunlight (it
"The number one hope is that they find a
makes white blood cells less active) to all her
cure for this disease,” she said. “The other
HIV-affected patients.
encouraging thing is that this disease is
While many patients, and women in
bringing people together who would not have
particular, may be accustomed to taking a
been brought together otherwise.”
passive role in their own medical care. White
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