|
|
Homelessness is a serious issue that increases the risk of HIV transmission among women. Increasingly, homelessness (or the threat of becoming homeless) is an issue that faces many women living with HIV/AIDS.
Most of us are aware of ‘visible homelessness’: women who stay in emergency hostels or shelters, or sleep in places considered unfit for human habitation such as parks, ravines, doorways, vehicles and abandoned buildings. However, there are a large number of women of all ages living in so-called ‘hidden homelessness”: this includes women who are temporarily staying with friends or family, staying with a man only to obtain shelter, or women who live in households where they are subject to family conflict or violence. Hidden homelessness also includes situations where women are paying so much of their income for housing that they cannot afford the other necessities of life such as food, women who are at risk of eviction, those living in illegal or physically unsafe buildings, or in overcrowded households.
As with immigration status and poverty, both ‘visible’ and ‘hidden’ homelessness affects the ability of a woman to make choices that will serve her physical, emotional and spiritual health – including those choices that may help prevent her from becoming infected with HIV. Living in both ‘visible’ and ‘hidden’ homelessness often leads to feelings of fear, stress, anxiety and depression.
Homelessness also impacts negatively on women living with HIV/AIDS. Some HIV medications require that they be taken with food, or stored in a refrigerator. For women living in hidden homelessness this can lead to fear of her HIV-status being revealed to others living in the household, shelters or hostel. As a result, she may not follow her treatment instructions, which will affect the success of her treatment. Women with HIV/AIDS living in visible homelessness (on the streets) often lack access to medications, consistent and nutritious food and refrigeration.
|
|