ju s t o u t ▼ Ja n u a ry 2 0 , 1 9 0 9 T 9
PORTLAND’S
Jen n y ’s Florist <&.
G arden Center
Ignorance
is not bliss
A national study finds that women with HIV die faster
than their male counterparts
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1200 NE Broadway
by Inga Sorensen
I
f a woman does not present herself as a
That oversight, whether it springs from igno
prostitute or intravenous drug user, then
rance or sexism, is costing women valuable time,
her doctor won’t think it’s necessary to
says Dr. Marcia K. Coodley, a Portland physi
give her an HIV test— that from Tom
cian who has worked extensively with women
Richardson, coordinator of the Oregon
with HIV.
AIDS Hotline. Richardson is talking about the "Oftentimes women do not feel welcome at
findings of a recent study that shows that women
HIV clinics, many of which really cater to men,
with HIV die faster than their male counterparts.
and health care providers simply don’t see HIV
The study, which was conducted in 13 cities
as a woman’s face. On top of that, many physi
including Portland, was unable to pinpoint a
cians don’t want to ‘shame’ a female patient by
medical reason for the difference in mortality
asking her if she would like to be tested for HIV,”
rates, speculating instead that women may wait
she says.
until they are sicker before seeking treatment or
Coodley recounts one instance when she made
may be treated differently by the medical estab
a presentation to her medical colleagues in which
lishment than men with HIV.
she speculated that a tenacious and recurring
“I’ve heard stories of women specifically
yeast infection in a female patient may be an
asking their doctors to give them HIV tests, but
indicator that the woman has HIV.
the d o cto rs tell the
“Many of these health
women they don’t need
care providers were ap
the test because they
palled that I could make
don’t live a high-risk
such a suggestion. They
lifestyle. Many doctors
were almost indignant that
view their female pa
I would suggest that their
tients as ‘good girls’ who
‘good’ patients could have
could never have HIV,”
HIV,” she says.
says Richardson, who
That was four years ago,
adds the majority of calls
after Coodley came to Or
that come in to the hotline
egon after practicing medi
are from women con
cine in Newark, N.J. She
cerned about HIV and
says, "On the West Coast,
AIDS.
HIV/AIDS has really hit the
“It’s still very much
gay male population. On
a minority within the
the East Coast, the rates of
medical community who
HIV in fec tio n am ong
realize that all women
women— particularly mi
are at risk for HIV, not
no rity w om en— appear
only those within the sex
much higher than here. That
industry or [those who
has forced health care pro
are] intravenous drug
viders back east to acknowl
users,” he says. “Because
edge that women are vul
of this, women with HIV
nerable to HIV.”
are not diagnosed early
Though women account
and thus cannot receive
for 15 percent of diagnosed
proper treatment. The
HIV cases nationally (and
virus is essentially al
a much smaller percentage
lowed to progress freely and gain a strong foot
in Oregon), women and children make up the
hold.”
fastest-growing segment of people with HIV.
The study, which was led by Sandra L.
“The crisis also affects women in a much
Melnick, an epidemiologist at the University of
different way than it does men,” says Coodley.
Minnesota School of Public Health, tracked nearly
“Women are generally the caretakers of children
4,000 men and 768 women with HIV for 15
and families. When they become sick, entire
months. It found women were 33 percent more
fami lies crumble. The devastation they feel when
likely to die than men who were comparably ill
they can’t take care of their children is enormous.
when they enrolled in the study. According to the
It’s heartbreaking to watch.”
findings, death was the first known sign of HIV
The study, which was conducted at primary
infection for women more than twice as often as
health care centers nationwide, is the largest of its
it was for men.
kind to explore the differences in HIV infection
“The lack of acknowledgment among health
between men and women. Fifty percent of the
practitioners that women are vulnerable to HIV
subjects were black or Latino/a, while 20 percent
is astounding,” says Richardson.
were women.
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