• Kathryn Whetten, Susan Reif, Kristin Lowe, and Lois Eldred.
• Health Inequalities Program, Duke University Center for Health Policy, Law and Management, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
• South. Med. J. 2004 Apr 1; 97 (4): 342-9.

ObjectivesAncillary services have been associated with beneficial health utilization outcomes among individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), including greater retention in medical care and greater likelihood of antiretroviral use. Our primary objectives were to examine gender differences in barriers to ancillary services among people living with HIV in the Southeastern United States.MethodsSurvey and chart abstraction data were collected from six tertiary infectious diseases clinics in the Southeast. Using multivariate analyses, we examined the relationship between gender and 1) knowledge of how to access HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) resource information and 2) opinions about the helpfulness of local services for people with HIV/AIDS.ResultsWomen were less knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS resources and rated local services less favorably than men. Middle-aged and older African-American women rated local services as less helpful than other survey participants did.ConclusionsThese findings indicate a need for outreach services that are designed to address the specific needs of older African-American women, and women in general.

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