Integrating Mental and Behavioral Health into Public Health and Healthcare for Women with HIV

Approximately one quarter of all people living with HIV are women; among new HIV diagnoses, one in five is a woman.  Three quarters of new HIV infections are among women of color.  Mental health comorbidities and substance abuse are significant predictors of HIV risk behavior among women (and frequently co-occur); they are also predictors of failure to obtain and remain in care, and of failure to adhere to treatment regimens when in care.   Risk-reduction efforts and programs designed to promote engagement and retention in care and in enhancing treatment adherence once in care have frequently focused on the risk and/or non-adherent behaviors themselves, with little attention paid to mental health and psychosocial factors that may increase behavioral risk and/or treatment non-adherence.  This presentation will provide an overview of the epidemiology of HIV infection among women in the United States,  outline mental health and psychosocial factors that affect risk behavior and treatment adherence, provide suggestions for interventions that compliment information-based interventions, and argue for greater integration of mental and behavioral health interventions with public health and healthcare.