Needs Assessment of HIV and Women with Parenting Responsibilities

The purpose of this study was to conduct an assessment of the unmet needs of women with HIV who have parenting responsibilities, in order to provide information and recommendations to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for future funding purposes. There was a concerted effort to explore current access and unmet needs from the perspective of a diverse range of women with HIV, including:

  • women who lived in urban and semi-urban areas
  • women not living in the city of Boston
  • women of different ages
  • women with and without other co-morbidities such as substance abuse or mental health disorders
  • women whose children do and do not have HIV, and
  • women of different racial/ethnic backgrounds, including women who were not born in the U.S.

From this study, we identified service delivery enhancements that were not already provided in the current health care delivery system in Massachusetts.

Qualitative methods were used to conduct this study, including in-depth interviews with women who have HIV as well as parenting responsibilities. The in-depth interviews were designed to identify where, how and how often women with HIV receive medical care, mental health and addiction treatment services, and other support services. We also sought the advice and guidance of a provider/consumer advisory committee established as part of the MassCare program, and Ryan White Title IV grant to the state of Massachusetts.

Interviews were conducted by Starr Wood with note-taking performed by research assistants Jocelyn McCree, Reginalde Gerlus, and Viviana Abuchar. Ms. McCree and Ms. Abuchar are fluent in Spanish and Ms. Gerlus in both French and Haitian Creole and conducted interviews in languages other than English as needed.

Publications

Wood, SA, Tobias, C. & McCree J. (2004). Medication adherence for HIV positive women caring for children: in their own words. AIDS Care. 16(7): 909-13.

Wood, S. & Tobias, C. (2004). Barriers to care and unmet needs for HIV-positive women caring for children: Perceptions of women and providers. HIV/AIDS and Social Services. 3(2): 47-65.