Pain and fatigue

According to data from the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control),symptoms related to pain and fatigue can cause in women with HIV a very stressing and frustrating feeling. In a study done in 104 HIV-positive women with ages between 20 and 66 to evaluate the symptoms of disability and the disability related to these symptoms, more than half of the women stated that they experienced problems in sleeping, lack of strength, loss of appetite, nauseas and breathing difficulties.

These women did keep a moderate level of physical mobility, although the majority of them showed to be at high risk of developing depression, and the ability to do self-care activities (such as taking a walk) was greatly related to the number of somatic symptoms and depression.

HIV-positive women experience diverse symptoms that can affect their physical functions, and they can greatly benefit from interventions that help them improve their emotional well-being and their ability to caring for themselves.

Another study held at the Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital to evaluate pain in HIV-positive women suggested that they experience it more frequently and with more intensity than HIV-positive men. These results may be a reflection that it is twice as likely that pain symptoms related to HIV receive worse treatment in women than in men.

(http://www.meds.com/conrad/pmcd/breit.html)

Despite their frequency and their intensity, these symptoms are not included in the possible evaluation of one’s ability to continue or not their current professional activity, but their ”disabling“ effect is undeniable for the development of a fulfilling life within society.

EATN - European AIDS Treatment News, Volume 13, I – Spring 2005