The care of women with AIDS: special needs and considerations.

The growing number of women being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS mandates the need to focus attention on the special needs of this population. Although women have many of the same devastating physical manifestations of HIV infection as men do, they face unique psychological and social issues that influence their ability to respond to their disease in the same ways. Women with HIV/AIDS are disproportionally poor or minority women who lack resources to maintain their health. It is impossible to address HIV infection in women without considering such factors as poverty, discrimination, and gender role expectations. This article uses a biopsychosocial framework to discuss a range of specific issues affecting the health and well-being of women with HIV/AIDS.