NCJ Number
112665
Journal
Social Casework Volume: 69 Issue: 6 Dated: (1988) Pages: 365-370
Date Published
1988
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article identifies and discusses sociological issues facing poor, inner-city persons with AIDS and suggests how social workers can improve their work with such persons.
Abstract
Drug use is endemic among poor, inner-city residents, and intravenous (IV) drug use is commonly reported by blacks and Hispanics diagnosed as having AIDS. Since IV drug users are generally despised by the legal, medical, and social establishments, there is little professional support and few community resources for IV drug users with AIDS. Another significant problem in the inner city is lack of housing for persons with AIDS (PWA's). Females constitute a relatively high percentage of PWA's in major urban areas, and most of these women are in their childbearing years. The Centers for Disease Control report that 54 percent of children with AIDS are black or Hispanic. A critical issue for both women and men is planning for long-term care of children if the PWA dies or is unable to care for the child. For AIDS-infected children, placement in foster or adoptive homes is a difficult task. Another issue concerns the strong taboo against homosexuality, a high-risk behavior for AIDS, in many ethnic-minority cultures; consequently, gay or bisexual minority men may be particularly socially isolated. Suggestions for social workers focus on support groups for PWA's and caregivers and the provision of other services that address the particular needs of inner-city PWA's. 31 footnotes.