Background Assessing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) is one of the primary functions of Ryan White CARE Act Title I Planning Councils. Eliminating disparities in access to care, especially primary care, is one of the top priorities of the Council. Methods In 1999 the San Francisco HIV Health Services Planning Council contracted with Harder + Co. to conduct a comprehensive assessment of met and unmet needs of low-income, uninsured and underinsured PLWH. The survey was completed by 1,300 PLWH. It was interviewer-administered over 2 months in 1999 and 2000. The survey assessed current housing status and met and unmet need for services. Survey participants were representative of low income PLWH served by CARE funds. Service priority rankings were determined by number of respondents who identified a services as a need. Results Results were analyzed by race/ethnicity, gender, housing status, county of residence, and transmission group. Almost all population groups identified primary care as their top need, and the vast majority reported it as met need. For other services, priorities varied widely by population group. Native Americans and African Americans reported the highest unmet needs for many services. Women were less likely to be taking HIV/AIDS medications than men or transgender clients. Conclusions There are significant disparities in unmet need by PLWH population in San Francisco. However, all groups are accessing medical care, and report low unmet need for primary care. Priority ranking for services also varied, representing cultural and gender differences in perception of need.
Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, the participant will be able to: 1. List populations analyzed, 2. identify disparities in need for HIV health services by population group, and 3. recognize variations in perceived needs by population
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Ryan White
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.