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Date Added to Site: 23rd January 2007 |
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Short Summary
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| Title |
HIV Positive Women and Drug and Alcohol Use, Vision Paper 6
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| Author |
The International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW) |
| Publication Date |
April 2007 |
| Publisher |
The International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW) |
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Short Summary
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Silent Voices, a participatory ICW project carried out by and for HIV positive women, researched services available for HIV positive drug/alcohol using women living in London, UK, and explored their experiences of using these services. The women reported that present-day services do not support their specific needs, and many expressed feelings of being invisible and discriminated against, even within the HIV community. The women also articulated their concerns about disclosing their HIV status and drug use to existing or new partners, family and friends, their children, colleagues and employers. Would existing partners leave them? Would their children accept their diagnosis? Discussions and training regarding disclosure should be offered to women living with HIV. These can be facilitated by other HIV-positive women who can share their experiences of what worked and what did not. Specific peer support groups for HIV positive women who are drug users should also be encouraged as a way of supporting each other and exchanging information and experiences.
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