This has led to misdiagnosis and late diagnosis in women. Many women experience opportunistic infections that doctors are not prepared to recognize as HIV-related, including yeast infections, Human Papiloma Virus, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, cervical dysplasia, cervical cancer, and herpes. Because of this, women are left with little or no social supports. Women have expressed a strong desire for support networks and support groups, but have a fear of reaching out due to the stigma. In addition to emotional needs, there are educational needs in women with HIV that must be addressed.
Many women know very little about the disease.
This sense of hopelessness makes it extremely hard for women to seek medical attention. Having HIV is not necessarily a death sentence any longer, and with access to accurate information, women with HIV can live long, productive lives. Clearly, financial support services are also greatly needed. It is quite clear that there are numerous implications for social work. According to the literature, social workers must understand HIV and AIDS as illness entities.