Abstract:

Recent statistics validate the impact of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) on women and children in the United States. An increasing number of women of childbearing age are being infected by sharing needles and syringes with HIV-positive individuals and by having sex with partners who are either known or unknown sources of HIV infection. These women subsequently expose their children to the virus during pregnancy and at birth. Frequently, these children are both HIV-positive and addicted to drugs. In response to the increasing needs of these women and their children who are frequently homeless, orphaned, or without adequate care, private, municipal, county, and federal groups and agencies have either redefined their services or developed new programs. The dedication of these groups has resulted in caretaking environments and programs which furnish the infected women and children and their families with medical care, physical, emotional, and financial support.